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At the Kings' new arena, fans can use the bathroom that 'correlates to their gender identity'
The Golden 1 Center, the shiny new arena that will become the new home of the Sacramento Kings this season, has everything. The solar-powered monument to facing the future boasts “smart turnstiles” to speed up entry, a robust Wi-Fi setup with “enough bandwidth to support a stadium four times as big,” the world’s largest indoor 4K video scoreboard — all the amenities that $557 million can buy. (Except, apparently, cup-holders in the upper deck.)
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For all the bells and whistles, though, the most noteworthy feature of the new gym might be its bathrooms. Namely, that it not only includes 23 single-occupancy restrooms specifically labeled “all-gender,” but that fans may use whichever of the 54 multiple-occupancy restrooms in the arena “correlates to their gender identity,” which is believed to make Golden 1 Center “the world’s first entertainment and sports arena to fully accommodate transgender fans.”
From Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee:
Although family-friendly restrooms have been around for years, allowing either parent to enter with a young child, transgender advocates said Golden 1’s accommodations make a statement about the Kings’ desire for inclusiveness.
“The Sacramento Kings are leading not only the NBA, but sports worldwide in building the first arena to ensure transgender fans are fully respected and welcomed,” said Rick Zbur, executive director of Equality California.
The Kings “wanted to ensure the very best fan experience for everyone regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” said team Chairman Vivek Ranadive in a prepared statement.
The freedom of transgender people to use the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity has became a battleground issue in the sports world in general, and the NBA in particular. The dispute has stemmed from House Bill 2, a law passed in March by North Carolina legislators and signed by Republican Gov. Pat McCrory that reversed a Charlotte city ordinance expanding rights and protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
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Much of the national attention paid to House Bill 2 has focused on its removal of a Charlotte city ordinance that allowed members of the transgender community to use the public restroom that aligns with the gender with which they identity rather than the gender listed on their birth certificates. The reach of HB2 stretches beyond that restriction, though, making it illegal for North Carolina’s cities to craft their own ordinances to expand upon state laws regulating things like workplace discrimination, use of public accommodations and minimum wage standards. HB2 also “sets a statewide definition of classes of people who are protected against discrimination” that excludes sexual orientation, and limits the avenues through which people can pursue claims of discrimination based of their race, religion, color, national origin, biological sex or handicap.
Shortly after McCrory signed HB2 into law, the NBA issued a statement saying the league is “deeply concerned that this discriminatory law runs counter to our guiding principles of equality and mutual respect and do not yet know what impact it will have on our ability to successfully host the 2017 All-Star Game in Charlotte.” When nothing in North Carolina changed, the NBA officially followed through on its threats, announcing it was pulling the 2017 NBA All-Star Game out of Charlotte in response to the continued existence of HB2 on the books.
“Our week-long schedule of All-Star events and activities is intended to be a global celebration of basketball, our league, and the values for which we stand, and to bring together all members of the NBA community – current and former players, league and team officials, business partners, and fans,” the league said in a statement. “While we recognize that the NBA cannot choose the law in every city, state, and country in which we do business, we do not believe we can successfully host our All-Star festivities in Charlotte in the climate created by HB2.”
“The sports and entertainment elite, Attorney General Roy Cooper and the liberal media have for months misrepresented our laws and maligned the people of North Carolina simply because most people believe boys and girls should be able to use school bathrooms, locker rooms and showers without the opposite sex present,” McCrory responded in a statement.
The National Center for Transgender Equality, the Human Rights Campaign and the American Civil Liberties Union all say there is no statistical evidence of the kind of sexual violence perpetrated by male perverts and pedophiles disguised as women often used to justify laws like HB2.
The Kings made the decision to feature trans-inclusive facilities in the Golden 1 Center because “it was the right thing to do,” team president Chris Granger told the Advocate:
“In basketball and in Silicon Valley, we share a similar philosophy – it does not matter who you are, your religious beliefs, your sexual orientation, or the color of your skin – everyone is welcome in our family. All that matters is that you’ve got game,” Ranadivé said.
The Kings will open their home preseason schedule on Monday, Oct. 10, against Israeli side Maccabi Haifa. Their first regular-season game at the Golden 1 Center will come on Thursday, Oct. 27, against the San Antonio Spurs.
Hat-tip to Rob Perez of FOX Sports.
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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!
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