Anti-Gay Group Sues Over Dolores Park Pissoir

An anti-LGBT group based in Sacramento is suing San Francisco over the pissoir in Mission Dolores Park.

In its civil rights complaint, Pacific Justice Institute says, "Allowing public urination at the pissoir is indecent, and offensive to the senses," among other claims. The group, which is known for its failed efforts to restrict transgender people's access to public restrooms in California, is following through on a threat it made earlier this year to sue the city.

The lawsuit was filed April 14 in San Francisco Superior Court on behalf of the nonprofit San Francisco Chinese Christian Union and four city residents against the city and Recreation and Park Department general manager Phil Ginsburg.

Plaintiff Patrick Sullivan lives across from the park "and has a clear view of persons using the pissoir from his kitchen window," the complaint says. He "alleges that the presence of the pissoir negatively impacts the value of his home."

Sylvia Terpstra, another plaintiff, "uses Dolores Park, at times riding the train there," the court documents say.

"Urine is nauseating and offensive when excreted in public places," the lawsuit says, and people with disabilities aren't able to use the outdoor urinal, which is located near 20th and Church streets and is part of the park's recent remodeling.

The city attorney's office made clear how seriously it's taking the litigation in a news release headlined "Ain't that a pissoir?!"

Matt Dorsey, a spokesman for the city attorney, stated, "If I had to predict the top 100 things in Dolores Park likely to offend these plaintiffs, I wouldn't have guessed that this would make the cut."

The office noted that the park, which has long been popular for boozy, pot-fueled get-togethers and frolicking, "ranks number 1 on Yelp among San Francisco's best nude parks."

Park department spokesman Joey Kahn said in an email that the pissoir "was conceived through a years-long community-driven process to address concerns of neighbors and park users frustrated by people relieving themselves on the train tracks and in bushes near homes," and the urinal "is in addition to the 27 new toilets (up from four) we've installed at Dolores Park."

Among other things, the lawsuit asks for "enjoining the continued unlawful and wasteful expenditure of tax dollars on maintaining, and holding open for use to the public, the pissoir."

A case management conference is set for September 14.