Toronto police headquarters now has a gender-neutral washroom

Toronto police, and members of the public, will now be able to use a gender-neutral washroom at the service's headquarters at 40 College Street.

The service opened the washroom, on the second floor of police headquarters, on Wednesday. Marked with a sign displaying all gender symbols, the washroom can be used by people of any gender expression and identity.

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It's not the first institution in Toronto to include a gender-neutral washroom. The Royal Ontario Museum opened several late last year, and the Toronto District School Board is rolling out similar washrooms in schools across the city. 

The opening of the washroom at police headquarters takes place the same day as the service's annual Pride reception. Chief Mark Saunders is expected to apologize for the 1981 bathhouse raids, which saw 160 officers arrest 286 men, an event that helped galvanize Toronto's LGBT community, but also left a rift between the community and police.

Const. Danielle Bottineau, the service's liaison with the community, has been working to improve those relations for years. She said the washroom will help.

"We are still working on mending bridges not only with the gay community, but, specifically, the trans community where they still don't have all the same human rights as the majority of us do in society," Bottineau said in a news release. "We want to show we are an inclusive Service and we are welcoming regardless of your gender identity and gender expression."

The Toronto police Pride reception starts at 5 p.m.