Bad restroom experience not the state's fault

I read Shari Laibl’s letter, posted on April 18, and I understand why she is upset. It must have been very shocking to her family to have a man walk in while they were using the restroom at Blue Heron Park. Laibl’s letter explains that the “Men” and “Women” signs were removed from the restrooms, and she links this to a lack of morality in Washington’s government. The problem here is that the state government had nothing to do with that man walking into that restroom.

Yesterday, April 23, I drove to Blue Heron Park to look at the restrooms. I have read the Human Rights Commission’s rules about gender segregated facilities. They say nothing about removing the “Men’s” and “Women’s” signs from bathroom doors, so Laibl’s statement that there were no longer signs on the restrooms surprised me. Blue Heron Park has three restrooms. The two closest to the lake were clearly marked “Men” and “Women.” The one farthest from the lake appears to be the one Laibl and her granddaughters used. On the side farthest from the lake, you can see the four jagged plastic corners where the “Men” sign was removed.

Here’s the problem: Washington state did not remove that sign. The bathroom was obviously vandalized. The other side of that building was clearly marked “Women.” All other bathrooms in the park were clearly marked. The bathroom that Laibl and her granddaughters used had “Men” hand-written in white paint on the door. The bathroom had a urinal. It was clearly the men’s room, which is why a man walked in. Laibl had a very bad experience, but it had nothing to do with the HRC’s new rules.

We need to remain clear-headed about the Human Rights Commission’s rules about gender segregated facilities. I suggest that people read them in full, by looking up WAC 162-32-060. 

Steve Close

Moses Lake