TY - JOUR
T1 - Self-Description of a University–Community Partnership to Advocate for Restroom Access Policy Change in Chicago
AU - Matthews, Alicia K.
AU - Blatt, Ruth
AU - Duangchan, Cherdsak
AU - Hunt, Kim L.
AU - Gaiba, Francesca
AU - Matthew, Avery
AU - Noriega, Mona
AU - Breen, Elizabeth
N1 - Funding Information:
The contribution of Dr. Matthews was supported by CHER Chicago (National Institutes of Health, 1U54MD012523-01) and a grant from the Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The contributions of Kim L. Hunt were supported by PAT and AIDS Foundation Chicago.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Johns Hopkins University Press.
PY - 2022/12/1
Y1 - 2022/12/1
N2 - Background: Transgender, nonbinary, and gender-non-conforming individuals face significant obstacles accessing public restrooms, resulting in negative mental and physical health consequences. Objectives: We describe the Chicago Restroom Access Project, a university and community partnership aimed at reforming restroom laws in Chicago and the state of Illinois. Methods: A range of community-engagement approaches were used, including recruiting, mobilizing, and partnering with diverse stakeholders, amplifying the voices of under-represented members of the impacted community, collecting data for evidence-based decision-making, fluid membership, and diffuse leadership. Results: Outcomes included developing resources for public education, changing the City of Chicago Human Rights Ordinance, changing Illinois state law on single-occupancy restrooms, and implementing restroom reform at an educational institution. Lessons learned are also described. Conclusions: The methods and principles of this partnership provide approaches that can be used to advocate for reform and policy change for restroom access throughout the country.
AB - Background: Transgender, nonbinary, and gender-non-conforming individuals face significant obstacles accessing public restrooms, resulting in negative mental and physical health consequences. Objectives: We describe the Chicago Restroom Access Project, a university and community partnership aimed at reforming restroom laws in Chicago and the state of Illinois. Methods: A range of community-engagement approaches were used, including recruiting, mobilizing, and partnering with diverse stakeholders, amplifying the voices of under-represented members of the impacted community, collecting data for evidence-based decision-making, fluid membership, and diffuse leadership. Results: Outcomes included developing resources for public education, changing the City of Chicago Human Rights Ordinance, changing Illinois state law on single-occupancy restrooms, and implementing restroom reform at an educational institution. Lessons learned are also described. Conclusions: The methods and principles of this partnership provide approaches that can be used to advocate for reform and policy change for restroom access throughout the country.
KW - Transgender
KW - activism
KW - advocacy
KW - allyship
KW - community engagement
KW - public policy
KW - restrooms
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85144045517&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85144045517&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1353/cpr.2022.0077
DO - 10.1353/cpr.2022.0077
M3 - Article
C2 - 36533505
AN - SCOPUS:85144045517
SN - 1557-0541
VL - 16
SP - 563
EP - 572
JO - Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action
JF - Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action
IS - 4
ER -
