New York Just Did the Most Incredible Thing for Transgender People

​New York City just released new guidelines designed to protect transgender and gender non-conforming people against being barred from using the restroom that corresponds with their gender identity, Yahoo News reports. 

Mayor Bill de Blasio says the new guidelines, which go beyond federal discrimination laws, are designed to ensure that "every transgender and gender non-conforming person in New York receives the dignity and respect they deserve." It also states having a dress code requiring women to wear skirts and men to wear ties, or any similar gendered grooming requirements, is discriminatory. Workplaces are also advised that "refusal to use a transgender employee's preferred name, pronoun, or title may constitute unlawful gender-based harassment."

These updates, along with their inclusion that a person's employer must accommodate someone's gender transition, could be a tremendous help to the three-quarters of transgender New Yorkers who have reported being treated poorly at their workplaces. Not to mention, cutting out the need for them to wear garments that don't match their gender identify just so they fit in at work. 

While this is a huge step for transgender and gender non-confirming New York City residents, City Council member Corey Johnson, facilitator of the council's LGBT Caucus​, notes, "The fight for equality is not over. "​

But at least we're inching our way toward it. 

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