Restaurant's Unisex Bathroom Sign Has Disability Community Talking
A sign posted in the bathroom of a pizza place in Charlotte, North Carolina, has earned the restaurant praise on social media.
Juli Ghazi, the owner of Pure Pizza in Plaza Midwood, posted a sign in her restaurant’s unisex bathroom about five months ago saying it’s available for people in the LGBTQ community, single fathers with daughters, single mothers with sons and adults with aging parents who may have disabilities, WSOC-TV News reported.
The sign began to go viral after patron Larken Egleston took a photo of it and posted it on Facebook on Jan. 9.
The note reads:
We have a UniSex bathroom because sometimes gender specific toilets put others into uncomfortable situations.
And since we have a lot of our friends coming to see us, we wanted to provide a place for our friends who are:
-Single Dads with daughters
-Single Moms with sons
-Parents with disabled children
-Those in the LGBTQ community
-Adults with aging parents who may be mentally/physically disabled
Thank you for helping us to provide a safe environment for everyone.
“The attitude Pure Pizza’s bathroom policy exhibits is the epitome of the neighborhood that I, and Pure Pizza, reside in,” Egleston told The Mighty via Facebook message. “Plaza Midwood is one of the most inclusive and diverse parts of Charlotte, and those of us that moved here did so knowing and embracing that dynamic. While there will inevitably be those that disagree with Pure Pizza’s policy, it serves as a reminder to those of us who live here why we love Plaza Midwood and why we love Pure Pizza and its owner, Juli.”
The feedback from customers and those in the Plaza Midwood community has been positive, according to KSDK.com.
Ghazi said about a month ago a mom who has a disabled teenage son came in for lunch and teared up when she saw the note on the bathroom. She explained to Ghazi that because the teen has reached puberty, the mother doesn’t feel comfortable taking him into women’s restrooms.
“The reason I listed several instances [in the letter hanging in the bathroom] is to bring awareness to why gender neutral restrooms are often necessary,” Ghazi told KSDK. “My hope is to shine a light that it’s not ‘dirty perverts’ or ‘molesters’ eager to hang out in a unisex bathroom, but individuals that have legitimate reasons to be there, and for others to find compassion rather than animosity.”
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Melissa McGlensey is the former News Editor at The Mighty. Her writing can also be seen in Ms. Magazine, on the Ms.Magazine blog and in The Huffington Post’s Good News, Comedy and Impact sections. Melissa is also a New York City comedian who does sketch, improv and stand up. She is passionate about social justice, politics, Thai food, literature, disability rights and more. She is currently in a long-distance relationship with her cat, Sneakers, who lives in California. You can follow her on twitter at @OhHeyMeliss.
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