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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Where is my space?!

80 replies

smashamasha · 09/07/2019 19:19

Here's the new toilet signage at my work.

Where is my space?!!

Where is my space?!
Where is my space?!
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HearMeSnore · 12/07/2019 18:31

I think I'd get as many women as possible to use the men's. When challenged, an innocent "Oh no, didn't you know? All the toilets are gender neutral now."

Then there will be more complaints and escalations...at which point the management will have to say "no, only the women's toilets have been changed to gender neutral." Make them fucking say it. Preferably in front of a lot of people, with a union rep present. Then ask why.

TimeLady · 12/07/2019 08:40

Here's the article about the civil service toilets:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6065075/Female-Home-Office-employees-refusing-use-new-36-000-gender-neutral-toilets.html

Perhaps you could share it with your female colleagues (to raise their awareness) and HR?

wacademia · 12/07/2019 03:03

It makes zero that the men's toilets always seem to be retained

Men would complain if they lost their loos. We are deemed less important and expected not to complain.

AnotherAdultHumanFemale · 12/07/2019 01:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

wacademia · 12/07/2019 00:34

If that's a workplace, what they have done is illegal unless the loos are single-occupant rooms: "sanitary conveniences shall not be suitable unless... separate rooms containing conveniences are provided for men and women except where and so far as each convenience is in a separate room the door of which is capable of being secured from inside."

Complain to HR, quoting the law, and get your union involved.

wibbletooth · 12/07/2019 00:22

I would also do a rough calculation on the numbers that will be eligible to use each toilet to have the numbers to hand to supplement your reply and show how they are going to end up with women taking longer to to the loo as they need to queue longer and if men are using the women’s as it’s not as rank as the men’s then that’s going to be really offputting to women who will hold on and end up with utis and time off work. I’m consolidating greatly here - there’s a fab article about what women need their own lips and the practical side of things that would be great to add lots of practical info to your reply. Been referenced quite a bit in the feminism chat section but can’t remenber the name of it or it’s author. Maybe someone else does and could link to it?

Also definitely get a copy of the article about the introduction of gender neutral (multi sex!) loos to the Home Office and how it all went horribly wrong. I would be tempted to send it out to all those that use the loos and ask if you could all learn their collective lessons and ensure from the beginning it doesn’t get as bad or maybe send to he and ask if they can turn it into a lessons learnt document that they could issue as instructions for using the loos. Hopefully they will read it and quietly retreat!

LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD · 11/07/2019 22:57

Everyone was just standing and gawping at the doors before plumping on the relevant sex. I was just relieved their weren’t unisex!
They were so deathly silent too - but the crash of wee hitting the porcelain was deafening. Very odd acoustics!

origamiunicorn · 11/07/2019 19:11

I'd be tempted to get a Sharpie and fill inthe men's sign with a skirt Grin

LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD · 11/07/2019 11:24

In offices now where although there are separate loos the wee (teensy tiny wee) signs on the door are so similar you can barely make out which a the men’s and which is the ladies.

The skirt/jacket is the same length - one is triangular and the other note bell shaped. Bloody architect/interior designers!

SonicVersusGynaephobia · 11/07/2019 10:13

If there are no urinals. Maybe the men's has no sanitary bin and they don't want to purchase more?

I would emal and ask why this was done, let them explain their rationale, then go back with your points after that.

bellinisurge · 11/07/2019 10:00

I'd draw a skirt on the male only character.

BlooperReel · 11/07/2019 09:51

Cover up the mens signage with a female sign Grin

KatharinaRosalie · 11/07/2019 09:36

Any reaction? What merrymouse said sums the entire issue up perfectly - everybody else is expected to be inclusive, but not the able bodied men.

LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD · 11/07/2019 07:36

It’s the fact that the men’s is still the men’s! How come they not have a ‘safe single sex space’. Don’t they want to share with the (charity) wankers then?

origamiunicorn · 11/07/2019 07:34

Well fuck me. I've always been slightly sceptical that this movement is being encouraged in order to segregate and discriminate women. I think this says it all.

GeorgeFayne · 11/07/2019 07:26

Hmm...obviously, in keeping with the times, the dude figure is missing a forearm due to phalloplasty, right? VERY inclusive place of work you have!

2BthatUnnoticed · 11/07/2019 07:08

Lord I think NSPCC is blocking anyone who asks about the Wanking One - and haven’t done a thing about him Angry

LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD · 10/07/2019 16:50

I’m sure trans men can use the gents. Obviously there’s no song and dance about it because they aren’t ‘special’.

Grasspigeons · 10/07/2019 16:48

Has anyone else at your work mentioned it.

sakura184 · 10/07/2019 16:44

All they have done is give able bodied men a special toilet in the name of equality. .

This is it in a nutshell 😂 I'm not laughing because it's funny, but because it's absurd

merrymouse · 10/07/2019 16:41

And shared disability provision makes the problem even worse.

All they have done is give able bodied men a special toilet in the name of equality. Confused.

merrymouse · 10/07/2019 16:40

Stealing from one minority group to give to another is a shitty way to deal with the problem.

Part of the problem is that although women are often treated as a minority, they aren't, so (assuming equal employment) in this situation the 50% of the work force who take longer to use the loo have less than 50% of the toilets.

The situation would be worse if there were urinals in the men's toilets because it's usually possible to have more urinals than toilets.

JackyHolyoake · 10/07/2019 14:29

Two points to add here:

1 There is no legal requirement to acknowledge a claimed status of "non-binary", since NB has zero legal meaning in UK law.

2 UK Case Law has established that, where a person who claims protection via gender reassignment does not have a GRC [ie: has not legally changed their Birth Certificate] the legal comparator for a male at any stage in any process of transition is other males; the legal comparator for a female is other females.

See [from 2003; pre-GRA 2004] www.casemine.com/judgement/uk/5b46f1fa2c94e0775e7ef4e3 [paras 70 onward]

and this case above was relied upon in 2013 [post GRA 2004] in this subsequent case:

www.casemine.com/judgement/uk/5a8ff7bb60d03e7f57eb1a1f [see paras 63 - 68]

So, there is no need to alter any facilities and given the requirements of The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 it is very unwise of this employer to have made such an adjustment.

Even if a person has a GRC this does not give that person any legal right to access any facilities for the sex transitioned to. It is probably a better legal option for any employer to allocate a third, separate facility to such a person.

Schedule 3, sections 26, 27 and 28 are explicit about this:

www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/schedule/3

BernardBlacksWineIcelolly · 10/07/2019 14:20

Did they not have a disabled loo before?

I’m just wondering how they’ve got along with 2 loos in the past

R0wantrees · 10/07/2019 13:58

Any letter of compaint, also highlight that the language has been made less accessible.

Its mixed sex & for men & women or everyone
Many people have literacy, visual, language issues whiich require signs to be clear.

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