The second decade of the 21st century sees transgendered people win significant victories claiming their right to safe restrooms.

A mere 78 public toilets serve New York’s 468 subway stations. Fear of terrorism closes toilets in cities across the US.

First successful potty parity legislation passes in California By 2009, 21 states in the US have such laws.

California Secretary of State March Fong Eu sledgehammers a toilet on the steps of the State Capitol in Sacramento to protest pay toilets. California outlaws them and New York follows.

Committee to End Pay Toilets in America (CEPTIA) forms to protest the 50,000 US toilets now fitted with coin operated locks. As women pay to use stalls but men use urinals for free, the campaign focus moves from basic human rights to gender.

As women flood the workforce and are elected to office, they fight for restrooms in factories, offices, and in US and state capitol buildings.

Jim Crow laws in the US South start to fall. The federal highway system expands, people flee cities for suburbs, restrooms in the urban core fall into disuse.  

The Pentagon is built with extra restrooms to accommodate racial segregation laws. Following complaints, signs for “white”and “colored” are never painted on doors.

By this time, many cities have built fairly elegant underground restrooms with attendants below their main squares. By end of decade, all New York City’s 1,500 parks have comfort stations.

As its first community service project, the service club Rotary builds a comfort station near Chicago City Hall. It serves only men.