Portland’s City Council is one vote away from scrubbing “men” and “women” labels off single-stall restrooms across the city, moving ahead with an ordinance that would standardize gender-neutral signage at restaurants, shops and other public-facing businesses. The proposal, brought forward by Council President Jamie Dunphy with Councilors Elana Pirtle-Guiney and Tiffany Koyama Lane, passed its first reading on Wednesday and now heads to a second reading next Wednesday.
What the Ordinance Would Require
The measure would create City Code Section 23.01.071 and require that single-occupant restrooms in places of public accommodation be open “to any person” and labeled with all-user, gender-neutral signage instead of traditional “men” or “women” signs, according to Portland.gov. City staff emphasize that this is a signage change, not a construction mandate, and that the City Administrator would handle notice, sample sign templates and enforcement. Complaints would flow through 311 and be investigated by Portland Permitting and Development.
Timeline, Cost and Local Impact
Council advanced the ordinance on its first reading this week and scheduled a second reading for next Wednesday, Feb. 11, according to KATU. Officials told reporters that the direct cost to businesses should be low, noting that compliant signs can run as little as $5. Only the signs would need swapping out; owners would not be required to remodel or alter the physical restrooms themselves.
Precedent and Response
Portland would not be the first city to head down this path. Seattle adopted a rule in 2015 requiring all single-stall restrooms to be designated all-gender, according to the Seattle City Council. Portland’s own city documents show that business groups were consulted during drafting and that supporters describe the proposal as an accessibility move for parents, people who use attendants or have medical needs, and transgender and gender-expansive Portlanders, according to Portland.gov.
If the ordinance clears its final vote, the city plans to roll out outreach to help businesses make the switch and may identify funding in the FY 2026–27 budget to support that outreach and notification. For now, the rule’s future hangs on next week’s council hearing and how quickly businesses are willing to update their restroom signs once the change becomes law.
