Latest news with #restroom
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Peeing turns partisan as N.M. Republicans decry transgender bathroom use
A proposal to construct a one-toilet restroom on the fourth floor of the New Mexico state Capitol is causing a big stink. After the Legislature's Facilities Review Subcommittee approved a two-pronged plan Thursday to convert a dual shower and lactation room into a restroom and also build a dedicated lactation room, both on the fourth floor, Senate Republicans pooh-poohed the move. "This addition would not have been necessary if the capitol's progressive policies had not permitted biological males to use the existing women's restroom, leading to numerous complaints by female employees and lawmakers during this spring's legislative session," they wrote in a news release. Shawna Casebier, director of the Legislative Council Service, which is responsible for the care and maintenance of the Capitol, said during Thursday's meeting the request for a single-toilet restroom on the fourth floor stems from "various reasons," including "greater access" to a family-type restroom. "Currently, there's only one family restroom in the building that is on the second floor," she said. Additionally, she said, the remodeled space would have room for an adult changing table — a changing station for people of various heights and weights who require help with toileting. "There [have] also been over the years requests to incorporate an adult changing table into a restroom in the Capitol, and if this … proposal is approved, the intention would be to size it so that an adult changing table could be in that space." Senate Minority Leader Bill Sharer, R-Farmington said in an interview after the meeting "the transgender issue" sparked the proposal. He called for a policy change that would bar transgender women from women's restrooms at the Capitol. "The background is that there's a transgender — I don't know what the right terminology is, I'm not trying to insult anybody — but a transgender that's going into the women's restroom, and the women were upset by this, troubled by this, and so we tried to find other solutions here," he said. Sharer said some women didn't mind that a transgender woman working at the Capitol was using the women's restroom. "But some did and so this became an increasing problem, a serious morale issue problem, and the answer was, 'Too bad. He's a woman,' ' Sharer said. 011525_GC_LFCMeeting03rgb.jpg (copy) House Speaker Javier Martínez, D-Albuquerque, speaks with Senate Majority Floor Leader Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe; Sen. George Muñoz, D-Gallup; and Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart, D-Albuquerque, following a news conference in January. In a joint statement, House Speaker Javier Martínez and Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart, both Albuquerque Democrats, dismissed the Senate Republicans' concerns. "State lawmakers have real work to do to make life better for the people of New Mexico and help protect them from the devastating impacts of President Trump's Big Brutal Bill, which will make life harder and more expensive for all of us," they said. "Policing public restrooms does not help New Mexicans who are worried about losing their health care, struggling to keep food on their tables, and keep up with rising costs." During the 60-day session earlier this year, some legislative employees sent an anonymous letter to legislative leaders complaining about the person. "Other women have encountered this person and have come out so upset that they were shaking from encountering a man in the women's restroom," the letter stated. "Telling someone that the solution is to use a restroom two floors down is pandering to one person and not the majority of the people using this facility." Sharer said the transgender woman was asked to use the family restroom on the second floor of the Capitol. "They said, 'I don't have to,' ' he said. The solution to the strife, Sharer said, was to build "another one-holer" on the fourth floor. "But it doesn't solve the problem of having all these women traumatized," he said. "From my perspective, it's not this one person that's the problem. It's the door that we've opened up because now any man can go in the women's restroom." During Thursday's meeting, Sharer said he supported the two-pronged plan for a single-use restroom with an adult changing station and a lactation room. But he said the plan didn't solve the issue that has been the source of complaints and that he expects women to "line up in the hall" to use the single-use restroom because they're afraid to use the women's room. "I've seen these studies that say half of all [New Mexicans] have been sexually assaulted, and that came from Source New Mexico, by the way," he said. "This isn't some right-wing nut job case that came up with these numbers." Martinez and Stewart said everyone deserves to feel safe in the Roundhouse. "Transgender people have been using restrooms consistent with their gender identity for decades without incident and existing laws already protect people in public spaces. The sudden focus on this issue is purely manufactured political controversy," they said. Nathan Saavedra, Equality New Mexico's director of policy and people, also defended letting people use bathrooms according to their gender identity. 'These attacks against transgender women are not new, and they are certainly not about safety," Saavedra wrote in an email. "Peeing is not partisan, and it is also not gender-specific. ... What is actually dangerous, and causes real and present harm to people, to New Mexicans, is this consistent and inflammatory rhetoric that singles out an individual group of people for simply existing." In a statement after Thursday's meeting, Sharer said, "it is wrong to subject women to traumatic and potentially dangerous situations for the sake of placating to a fringe minority." "Peeing should not be partisan," he added. "But a small group of activists have forced this on the women of New Mexico."
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Guests Avoid Restaurants With Poor Restrooms, Says New Tork Survey Data
Originally published on Tork Newsroom NORTHAMPTON, MA / / July 1, 2025 / 73% of people say a bad restaurant restroom experience will impact their willingness to return1 Global survey data from Tork, an Essity brand and the global leading professional hygiene brand, shows that the restroom experience is critical for guests. Nearly 50% of individuals surveyed keep track of public locations - including businesses - where they've had a poor restroom experience to avoid those locations in the future. That number jumps to 73% for restaurant or café patrons who say their decision to return is impacted by a poor restroom experience. "When consumers are out to dine - whether it's a quick meal or fine dining - the restroom serves an important function," said Dotti Haynes, HoReCa Marketing Director, Professional Hygiene at Essity. "It's often seen as a reflection of other 'behind the scenes' areas, such as the kitchen, where proper hygiene is critical to food safety. Businesses shouldn't underestimate the perception created by poorly kept or poorly equipped restrooms - the restroom truly matters more than they might think." For restaurant guests, access, automation and cleanliness in the restroom matter significantly for a positive and comfortable experience. Guests indicate the most important criteria include: paper towels to dry hands (81% listed these as important, versus 65% who said jet air dryers are important); automated soap dispensers (78% listed these as important); bins for incontinence products (74%); automated faucets (73%); automated toilet flushers (72%) and signs reminding visitors to wash their hands (68%). The survey data shows a disparity between business owners' hygiene perceptions and the reality of the guest experience: Almost all businesses surveyed (92%) say it's important that their restrooms are hygienic. However, 57% of people think public restrooms feel unhygienic. 93% of restaurant managers think it is important to ensure that the restroom meets the needs of as many patrons as possible, providing more inclusive hygiene Yet, less than half of the same respondents say they offer key elements of inclusive restroom design including soap dispensers and sinks that are reachable for all, gentle soap, sanitation bins, changing stations or quiet dispensers. Inclusive hygiene helps businesses provide better and more comfortable restroom experiences for restroom users, regardless of their health conditions, physical capabilities, stage of life or hygiene concerns. Tork is raising awareness around inclusive hygiene in public restrooms, working to educate businesses on why and how to provide more inclusive hygiene solutions for both employees and customers. "In restaurant, café and hospitality settings, employees and managers are juggling many priorities with the ultimate goal to deliver a positive full house experience," Haynes continued. "Businesses should think about the restroom with consideration to the diverse abilities and needs of their guests. These include mobility changes that could come with age or skin sensitivities such as eczema, which can be irritated by harsh soaps. There are also a range of neurodiverse and cognitive needs. For example, many people are sensitive to loud noises, so hand dryers may be triggering and many are impacted by overall hygiene concerns in the restroom." Tork recommends these practical steps to create more inclusive hygiene in the restroom for staff and guests: Aim for a quiet environment, avoiding sensory overloads. Install high-capacity dispensers to maximize product availability. Ensure restrooms are kept clean at all times. Install paper towel, toilet paper and soap dispensers that are easy to use for people with reduced hand strength. Use soap products that are kind to skin and dermatologically tested. Install dispensers that control consumption, to help reduce waste and increase hygiene with one-at-a-time dispensing. To learn more about how restaurants can create a better guest experience through better hygiene, please visit: 1 Tork Insight Survey 2024, conducted in US, UK, Germany, France and Mexico among 6000 end-users and 900 end-customers. For additional information please contact:FHTork@ About Tork The Tork brand offers professional hygiene products and services to customers worldwide, ranging from restaurants and healthcare facilities to offices, schools and industries. Our products include dispensers, paper towels, toilet tissue, soap, hand sanitizers, napkins, wipers, but also software solutions for data-driven cleaning. Through expertise in hygiene, functional design and sustainability, Tork has become a market leader that empowers customers to think ahead and improve business outcomes through sustainable hygiene management. Tork is a global brand of Essity, and a committed partner to customers in over 110 countries. To keep up with the latest Tork news and innovations, please visit About Essity Essity is a global, leading hygiene and health company. Every day, our products, solutions and services are used by a billion people around the world. Our purpose is to break barriers to well-being for the benefit of consumers, patients, caregivers, customers and society. Sales are conducted in approximately 150 countries under the leading global brands TENA and Tork, and other strong brands such as Actimove, Cutimed, JOBST, Knix, Leukoplast, Libero, Libresse, Lotus, Modibodi, Nosotras, Saba, Tempo, TOM Organic and Zewa. In 2024, Essity had net sales of approximately SEK 146bn (EUR 13bn) and employed 36,000 people. The company's headquarters is located in Stockholm, Sweden and Essity is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. More information at View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Essity / TORK on Contact Info:Spokesperson: Essity / TORKWebsite: info@ SOURCE: Essity / TORK View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
