After discovering that a cross-dressing man was using a women's restroom at a recent conference, Wendy McElroy headed to Spokane Valley City Hall last night to express concern over the lack of enforcement.

"A woman's restroom is our only sole private area," she told council members during the public comment portion of Tuesday night's meeting.

"Society has provided men and women with individual designated places to relieve him or herself in private in the form of restrooms clearly marked `men" and `women.' "

She also expressed concern over sexual attacks and wondered if women need to begin arming themselves before using public restrooms.

Council members thanked McElroy for her comments and several audience members applauded but Washington is among a handful of states that have extended civil rights protection to transgendered individuals.

The state's Human Rights Commission has concluded "transgender employees should be permitted to use the restroom that is consistent with the individual's gender identity," according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Few courts, however, have weighed in on the issue.

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