Law reflects new family norms

President Obama signed into law a new legislation on Oct. 7 that will require men’s bathrooms in public federal buildings have a changing station for babies in an initiative called the Bathrooms Accessible in Every Situation Act, a gender role-breaking initiative that promotes inclusivity.

The BABIES Act was agreed by a bipartisan majority in the House of Representatives and passed unanimously by the Senate before President Obama signed it, according to the Oct.12 Smithsonian Magazine article, “Obama just signed a law mandating diaper changing tables in men’s restrooms,” by Erin Blakemore. The text of the legislation defines a changing station as “a table or other device suitable for changing the diaper of a child age 3 or under.”

This is a great move because this new law will make parenting a bit easier for families, such as men in same-sex relationships, single parents or even just dads out with their children without their wives. They no longer will have to worry about whether they will find necessary accommodations to properly care for their children.

The BABIES Act also comes after similar legislation did not pass in places like California, according to the same Smithsonian Magazine article.

This law is important because it will help shift away from the idea that caring for children is solely a woman’s job, an outdated notion. According to the Pew Research Center, the time a father spends with their children has tripled from 1965 to 2011, and 57 percent of fathers say parenting is important to their identity. The amount of stay at home fathers has also increased since 1989.

The image of the traditional American family is changing, and it is time society catches up. This progressive legislation is a good step in the right direction.

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