The White House announced a gender-neutral restroom policy on Wednesday, saying staff and visitors can now use either the men's or women's restrooms regardless of their outward appearance or biological sex. It also opened a special transgender-friendly restroom in its executive annex.
"The White House allows staff and guests to use restrooms consistent with their gender identity," said White House spokesman Jeff Tiller,
CNN reported.
"In addition, an all-gender restroom is also available in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which provides guests and staff an additional option," he added.
The opening of the transgender-friendly bathroom was timed to coincide with an executive order that took effect Wednesday that bars federal contractors from discriminating against transgender, gay, and bisexual employees.
The new arrangements are just the latest move of many made by the Obama administration to be more inclusive of transgender Americans.
For example, Obama became the first president to use the word "transgender" in a State of the Union address this year.
Perhaps even more significant for the daily lives of transgender Americans, it was announced last year that Medicare would begin covering the cost of sex-reassignment surgery.
In a Wednesday op-ed for prominent LGBT magazine The Advocate, White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett said an estimated 1.5 million LGBT employees would be protected by the executive order regarding federal contractors.
Additionally, Jarrett lauded the president for comparing the LGBT rights movement to the civil rights movement during his speech in Selma, Alabama last month to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the historic march that took place there.
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