Hoboken, NJ – First Ward Councilman Mike DeFusco is releasing the following statement regarding Mayor Ravi Bhalla’s announcement that he will seek to pass an ordinance requiring all single-occupancy bathrooms in Hoboken to be gender neutral. DeFusco is Hoboken’s first openly gay elected official.

“Bringing single-user gender neutral bathrooms to Hoboken is a conversation that started last year after I spoke out about our city’s failing grade on the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index, and I’m glad to work with Mayor Bhalla to move ahead on this symbolic but meaningful issue. But we shouldn’t define our city’s progress on LGBTQ rights only on a headline-grabbing issue like gender neutral bathrooms when there are other issues of great significance that must be addressed. At this coming Wednesday’s City Council meeting, I will be sponsoring a resolution which encourages a trans-inclusive healthcare plan for employees, offers services geared towards trans residents as well as LGBTQ senior citizens who are often forgotten about as they grow older and adds an enforcement mechanism to the city’s “Fair and Welcoming City” commission to protect LGBTQ rights. In fighting for these tangible and achievable goals, we can finally raise our city’s Equality Index to where it should be and send a strong message that we’re a leader in the state for LGBTQ rights. As Hoboken’s first openly gay elected official, these are issues that are very personal for me and I’m emboldened as ever to continue our city’s push forward towards full social equality.”

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