Optional all-gender bathrooms bill moves closer to passage

SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Senate on Thursday passed an amended version of a bill that would allow businesses and public institutions to provide multioccupant all-gender bathrooms if they so choose.

House Bill 1286 would change current state law, under which single-occupancy bathrooms are automatically designated for all genders, but multioccupancy bathrooms must be designated as male or female.

While the measure had already passed the House on March 23, the amended version heads back to the chamber for consideration before it can be sent to Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

Justin Sia, a Chicago attorney, testified in committee this week that he came up with the idea for the bill while in law school at Loyola University. He described it as “a pro-family, pro-business and pro-safety bill that permits, not mandates, public and private entities to install gender inclusive, multi-stall restrooms.”

Sia said he’d heard from transgender and gender…