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Original poster

“Any gender” changing room for women in Primark

95 replies

Womanwomanwoman1 · 13/05/2025 10:26

I joined a queue of women waiting for (I assumed) the changing room on the right with no sign on. The other sign on the left said “Any Gender” - I asked whether both changing rooms were open because of the queue. I was told that the one without the sign is the Men’s changing room, the women’s is signed “Any gender”.

Won’t be returning there again.

OP posts:
Tripleblue · 15/05/2025 18:10

I understand, it's disgusting. Women do not want to be in Any Gender with a 6ft 5 self identifier. That should have been all women and girls and the %0.005 of populatiotion that are men with the "need" to use womens toilets can go to the back of rhe shop, not women and girls who are half the population.
Don't patronise this place any more.

DrPrunesqualer · 15/05/2025 17:43

BallerinaRadio · 15/05/2025 10:20

We're going to reach a point where clothes shops just stop having changing rooms because it's not worth the hassle.

Unless of course Mumsnet isn't actually a true representation of the real world and most people just aren't bothered about things like this and don't write letters of complaints

If woman always had that view we wouldn’t have the vote.
In fact
We wouldn’t have the Equalities Act for women
or any rights at all because women have always had to fight for what we currently have.

Fight for it or lose it

Original poster
Womanwomanwoman1 · 15/05/2025 17:39

DrPrunesqualer · 15/05/2025 12:16

Well done OP for questioning this with Primark.
We need women like you to put some sense back into the system and stop all this madness.
Women can feel safer now !
👏👏👏👏

Show quote history

Thank you so much, your message is extremely appreciated x

OP posts:
DrPrunesqualer · 15/05/2025 12:16

Womanwomanwoman1 · 15/05/2025 09:53

Had a reply this morning, they’ve apologised again and said the appropriate steps have been taken in that particular store to ensure what happened, doesn’t happen again. They’ve also said that it should be “women’s” and “any gender” rather than “men’s” and “any gender”.

Whatever the reason the managers did it, at least it’s now been rectified.

Also sent me a gift voucher so can’t say fairer than that.

Well done OP for questioning this with Primark.
We need women like you to put some sense back into the system and stop all this madness.
Women can feel safer now !
👏👏👏👏

wineandcheeseplease · 15/05/2025 12:10

I went there the other day and it was the same. It was bonkers!

insideoutsider · 15/05/2025 10:31

The Primark near us have a 'Womens' changing room and an any gender one. So only women can use the women's one and men and others can use the other one. Looks opposite to yours.

Kuretake · 15/05/2025 10:30

How weirdly thick of the store. I thought it couldn't be right, just could not find any combo of beliefs that made mens and any gender work!

BallerinaRadio · 15/05/2025 10:20

We're going to reach a point where clothes shops just stop having changing rooms because it's not worth the hassle.

Unless of course Mumsnet isn't actually a true representation of the real world and most people just aren't bothered about things like this and don't write letters of complaints

Cucy · 15/05/2025 10:14

Women’s and any gender makes a lot more sense and works way better.

Original poster
Womanwomanwoman1 · 15/05/2025 09:53

Had a reply this morning, they’ve apologised again and said the appropriate steps have been taken in that particular store to ensure what happened, doesn’t happen again. They’ve also said that it should be “women’s” and “any gender” rather than “men’s” and “any gender”.

Whatever the reason the managers did it, at least it’s now been rectified.

Also sent me a gift voucher so can’t say fairer than that.

OP posts:
Igmum · 13/05/2025 16:38

wordler · 13/05/2025 13:18

Are they breaking the law though?

I thought a private company could choose to have ‘any gender’ spaces if they want to.

But if they specify a single sex space then it should be single sex - with the law now clear that refers to biological sex.

But they can choose not to have single sex spaces without breaking the law.

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Good point and IANAL. I would have thought the key thing here is that they have single sex spaces for men but not for women. I think they can choose to have entirely mixed sex spaces (though if toilets would need to be enclosed cubicles and frankly, if changing rooms would be deeply off-putting) but they cannot provide single sex spaces for one sex and not the other and they cannot provide single gender (mixed sex) spaces without admitting all members of both sexes (ie. can’t admit trans women without admitting all other men).

Banmooo · 13/05/2025 16:32

TracyCruz · 13/05/2025 11:33

Primark stated years ago that their changing rooms were self-ID despite being labelled mens and womens - perhaps this is them trying to make it clearer that they are really unisex.

No they changed it, all changing rooms are now women and any gender. There's no men's only changing rooms

RampantIvy · 13/05/2025 16:29

TheGirlWhoLived · 13/05/2025 11:10

My primark is the opposite… they had women’s and any gender

Same here.

mumda · 13/05/2025 16:28

You need to go back and take photos.

ThreeLegsIsPlenty · 13/05/2025 16:16

The massive Primark I go to has womenswear on ground floor with women only changing rooms, 1st floor is kids, lingerie, women's accessories/shoes and home and has an any gender changing room which I think is a bit mad as it is on the lingerie floor. The 2nd floor is menswear with a male changing room.

So all 3 sectors are covered and I can see why they have laid it out this way. The women's clothing is all on the ground floor, hence the women only changing room on that floor. Most women will be shopping for clothes not lingerie every time.

Redpeach · 13/05/2025 16:14

Maybe stop shopping at primark

Haulage · 13/05/2025 16:13

I wonder why they’ve elected to give men the single sex changing room but make women share with anyone who feels like it on the floor with the underwear and nightwear.

TY78910 · 13/05/2025 16:08

LittleBitofBread · 13/05/2025 16:03

Ah, I see. I was being slow on the uptake.
You could have explained without the snitty tone, but thank you.

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Wasn’t snitty, sorry if it came across that way - I usually use dictation instead of typing so the punctuation inserts itself.

LittleBitofBread · 13/05/2025 16:03

TY78910 · 13/05/2025 16:00

The whole shop is one premises, they’re not separate entities on each floor. As long as one of each plus optional unisex is present, no law is broken. Do you feel there should be a mandatory women’s changing room on a men’s only floor, for example? That would be a complete waste of space for the retailer.

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Ah, I see. I was being slow on the uptake.
You could have explained without the snitty tone, but thank you.

minnienono · 13/05/2025 16:02

There’s 3 changing rooms in our store, each has cubicles with doors and anyone can use them, can’t see the issue

TY78910 · 13/05/2025 16:00

LittleBitofBread · 13/05/2025 15:52

I don't think they can comply with the law on one floor and break it on another, can they? Or am I misunderstanding the law and/or these shop changing rooms?

Show quote history

The whole shop is one premises, they’re not separate entities on each floor. As long as one of each plus optional unisex is present, no law is broken. Do you feel there should be a mandatory women’s changing room on a men’s only floor, for example? That would be a complete waste of space for the retailer.

LittleBitofBread · 13/05/2025 15:52

TY78910 · 13/05/2025 15:49

Yes, but that’s likely on a different floor (perhaps the women’s?), not necessarily the floor OP said she was on (other mixed bits and bobs). Hence why I don’t think this is as scandalous as the title suggests

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I don't think they can comply with the law on one floor and break it on another, can they? Or am I misunderstanding the law and/or these shop changing rooms?

TY78910 · 13/05/2025 15:49

LittleBitofBread · 13/05/2025 15:41

No, it's one for men and one for 'any gender', whatever that means.
If they provide a single-sex changing room for one sex (men here), don't they legally have to provide the same for the other sex (women)?

Show quote history

Yes, but that’s likely on a different floor (perhaps the women’s?), not necessarily the floor OP said she was on (other mixed bits and bobs). Hence why I don’t think this is as scandalous as the title suggests

Original poster
Womanwomanwoman1 · 13/05/2025 15:49

That’s what I thought, instead they’ve made both changing spaces for men with the terminology used.

OP posts:
LittleBitofBread · 13/05/2025 15:41

Serencwtch · 13/05/2025 11:46

It's one for women & one for 'any gender' so women can use either.
If there was a long queue of only women then women would be directed to either.

You've got it completely mixed up OP.

No, it's one for men and one for 'any gender', whatever that means.
If they provide a single-sex changing room for one sex (men here), don't they legally have to provide the same for the other sex (women)?