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Original poster

Virgin active is inclusive. Great

35 replies

Howzaboutye · 11/03/2019 21:41

So my 5yo is expected to just shut up and accept that a male bodied person is changing in her changing rooms at the gym?

But sure, it's ok coz they are wearing a dress. No no no no no.

It is NOT ok and I am really really cross.

How is this not a safeguarding issue?

Any of the men I know would not dream of going into the female changing space. But if they wanted to, and they decide that 'today I identify as a woman, so I will, and you can't stop me'

Fucking hell.
Is anyone from Man Friday on here?

OP posts:
Knicknackpaddyflak · 11/03/2019 22:32

It makes me livid when this is nicely boxed as 'inclusive'. It's as nasty an act as calling people killed 'collateral damage' or 'acceptable loss', a tasteful cover up of what is really happening. I want people like Virgin to be honest about their beliefs if they're going to act on them. Stop hiding behind the wishy washy words and say straight out, our policy is that we don't believe in the right of women to have bodily privacy from men. We provide mixed sex changing and do not allow single sex spaces. And we believe it is more important to serve the wishes of men than to include women of faiths, cultures, disabilities or personal boundaries, and accept that those women will lose access to our gym.

Come on Branson. Own it. Call it what it is.

Original poster
Howzaboutye · 11/03/2019 22:23

We could do a 'woman Wednesday' like man Friday, to make the point?

But where do we find brave men to do this?

OP posts:
Original poster
Howzaboutye · 11/03/2019 22:22

I nearly put inclusive in inverted commas. Because it clearly isn't inclusive!

I really like the gym, it really suits us.

I did chat to the head of swimming months ago when she was drying her hair.

I outlined the man Friday stuff. Her face, when I explained, was the horror emoji.

So I don't think all the managers would be keen on the policy.

It's evidently a corporate policy being handed down from hq.

And the thing is, noone round these parts has any clue that this stuff is the opposite of inclusive.

This cannot be reality.
What world have I brought my daughter into?

OP posts:
SuziQ10 · 11/03/2019 22:20

I really don't want to be forced to share changing rooms or even toilets with men who identify themselves as a women. Or with men who identify as men. I am so nervous about all of this.

As a backstory, not that there has to be one, we can feel uncomfortable if that's how we feel(!), but I was assaulted in a female toilets by a man when I was 17. He was very physical and scary, he had a knife.
I am very very scared of using public toilets at the best of times, without men actually being allowed to be in there!! I have a DD and I don't want shared facilities to become the norm.

What can we possibly do to prevent this from becoming the new norm.

Mrskeats · 11/03/2019 22:01

Leave. Organise a boycott of like minded people if you can. It’s the only way.

NicoAndTheNiners · 11/03/2019 22:00

Move to David Lloyd instead.

StephsCaddy · 11/03/2019 21:59

Vote with your feet.

Knicknackpaddyflak · 11/03/2019 21:59

Sorry to nit pick, but no, it isn't inclusive, it's removed the right of women to single sex facilities.

That automatically excludes some women from their women's facilities. It's anything but inclusive. Inclusion is a trojan horse word to make removing rights from women sound like something positive.

Sinead100 · 11/03/2019 21:55

I really wouldn't feel comfortable with this. Shoot me if you think I'm being divisive.

JessicaWakefieldSVH · 11/03/2019 21:51

Cancel your membership. Bastards.

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