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| All-gender restroom at Democratic convention a hit with delegates | All-gender restroom at Democratic convention a hit with delegates |
| (25 days later) | |
| An all-gender bathroom at the Democratic national convention was seeing plenty of visitors on Thursday. Even some famous ones. | An all-gender bathroom at the Democratic national convention was seeing plenty of visitors on Thursday. Even some famous ones. |
| “When both of us walked in,” said Nikki Nice, referring to a friend who was hurriedly walking away from this reporter, “Reverend Jesse Jackson was coming out of the stalls.” | “When both of us walked in,” said Nikki Nice, referring to a friend who was hurriedly walking away from this reporter, “Reverend Jesse Jackson was coming out of the stalls.” |
| “We were like: ‘Ahhh’,” Nice said. “Just experiencing Reverend Jesse Jackson coming out of a stall – that just speaks everything about what an all-gender restroom really is about. So I’ll take that any day.” | “We were like: ‘Ahhh’,” Nice said. “Just experiencing Reverend Jesse Jackson coming out of a stall – that just speaks everything about what an all-gender restroom really is about. So I’ll take that any day.” |
| Nice, a delegate for Bernie Sanders and member of the DNC platform committee, is from Oklahoma, which came close to joining the Republican-dominated North Carolina legislature in banning transgender people from using the bathroom of their choice. The Oklahoma bill was overturned by the federal government. | Nice, a delegate for Bernie Sanders and member of the DNC platform committee, is from Oklahoma, which came close to joining the Republican-dominated North Carolina legislature in banning transgender people from using the bathroom of their choice. The Oklahoma bill was overturned by the federal government. |
| She said her bathroom experience had gone smoothly. | She said her bathroom experience had gone smoothly. |
| “There are doors so it’s OK,” she said. “We don’t have to see their private parts.” | “There are doors so it’s OK,” she said. “We don’t have to see their private parts.” |
| Suzanne Ffolks was among the others to use the bathroom. She said she had no qualms about sharing with the opposite sex – “if it’s clean”. | Suzanne Ffolks was among the others to use the bathroom. She said she had no qualms about sharing with the opposite sex – “if it’s clean”. |
| This was Ffolks’s second visit to the all-gender bathroom. She had used it earlier in the week without realising men were allowed in. Thursday’s visit was intentional, albeit brief. | This was Ffolks’s second visit to the all-gender bathroom. She had used it earlier in the week without realising men were allowed in. Thursday’s visit was intentional, albeit brief. |
| “I just went in for a second to look at my hair,” she said. She was a little disappointed with what she saw in the mirror. | “I just went in for a second to look at my hair,” she said. She was a little disappointed with what she saw in the mirror. |
| “It’s raining outside,” she explained. “I’m just going to go with it.” | “It’s raining outside,” she explained. “I’m just going to go with it.” |
| As the Guardian lingered outside the all-gender restroom, seemingly causing more unease than anything going on inside, Sarah McBride was addressing delegates in the hall. | As the Guardian lingered outside the all-gender restroom, seemingly causing more unease than anything going on inside, Sarah McBride was addressing delegates in the hall. |
| McBride, the national press secretary at the not-for-profit Human Rights Campaign, is the first transgender person ever to speak at a national party convention. | McBride, the national press secretary at the not-for-profit Human Rights Campaign, is the first transgender person ever to speak at a national party convention. |
| She spoke about coming out as transgender four years ago in college. She said attitudes had changed even in that time. | She spoke about coming out as transgender four years ago in college. She said attitudes had changed even in that time. |
| “Today I see this change in the work of the LGBT caucus and in my own job at the Human Rights Campaign … but so much work remains,” McBride said. | “Today I see this change in the work of the LGBT caucus and in my own job at the Human Rights Campaign … but so much work remains,” McBride said. |
| “Hillary Clinton understands the urgency of our fight.” | “Hillary Clinton understands the urgency of our fight.” |
| Down on the convention floor, North Carolina state senator Erica Smith-Ingham had been listening. | Down on the convention floor, North Carolina state senator Erica Smith-Ingham had been listening. |
| “It’s an embarrassment. It is morally wrong,” she said of her state’s restroom ban. “The only purpose of the bill was to legislate hate and be hostile to the transgender community.” | “It’s an embarrassment. It is morally wrong,” she said of her state’s restroom ban. “The only purpose of the bill was to legislate hate and be hostile to the transgender community.” |
| Smith-Ingham had taken the opportunity to use the all-gender restroom herself, she said. She told the Guardian that she had “not had a problem” with the facility. She lamented the passage of the North Carolina bill, but said she and others were hoping to overturn it. | Smith-Ingham had taken the opportunity to use the all-gender restroom herself, she said. She told the Guardian that she had “not had a problem” with the facility. She lamented the passage of the North Carolina bill, but said she and others were hoping to overturn it. |
| “If we don’t become more inclusive and progressive we’re going to be left behind in the world,” she said. | “If we don’t become more inclusive and progressive we’re going to be left behind in the world,” she said. |