Mayor Frank Jackson signs law that allows people to use the bathroom of their choice. @cleveland19news pic.twitter.com/9rpKcZmJv9
— Shanice (@ShaniceDunning) July 22, 2016
***
(Original story 7/13/16): Cleveland City Council will pass legislation at its meeting Monday night that will permit transgender people to use bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity.
The bill, which was first introduced back in 2013, aimed to add gender identity / expression to the city's anti-discrimination laws. But it's assumed the status of another "bathroom bill," one that's part and parcel of the the national conversation on transgender rights. The ordinance was tabled after heated council committee meetings back in 2014.
Council President Kevin Kelley said back in June that council had been working hard to craft a piece of legislation that "everyone [was] happy with."
City Council's committee of the whole passed the legislation Monday morning, so it'll be put to a vote tonight.
Leila Attassi, reporting for Cleveland.com says that the new version of the bill has slightly different penalty structure for offenses.
"The latest, amended version calls for complaints to be filed with the city's fair housing court, which could issue a civil penalty," Atassi reports. "Ignoring that would trigger a first-degree misdemeanor charge. But penalties would be left to the discretion of a municipal judge."
