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Original poster

Glasgow M&S Changing room debacle

85 replies

Lordfrontpaw · 13/03/2020 14:37

Now I can't quite get my head around this. I must be missing something. Please note this was two men, no claims of them being anything other than two men.

So - 2 men wanted to use the changing room in the ladies clothes section because (just the) one was trying on trousers.

A member of the M&S team then told him: “I can’t stop you from using it,”

One was told by a member of the public that it was for women only to “try on bras”

While in the changing room, they heard the member of the public say, “I wouldn’t want to get my t**s out in front of other men.

It is then claimed the M&S staff member laugh and agreed before saying, “we have to allow it because of all this new stuff."

The couple complained to a manager instore who told them that she would reiterate to staff that fitting rooms were unisex. They also complained in writing to the store and are now looking to escalate their complaint further. (of course they are)

The men said that while they don't identify as women, if they had, then the negative comments they heard from women could have driven them to suicide

One said “I could have been a non-binary or trans person, they don’t know that.”

M&S apologise

www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/18302422.amp/

OP posts:
fascinated · 14/03/2020 08:43

And I fail to see how you interpret my statement as saying it was worse than anywhere else. That’s your gloss on it.

fascinated · 14/03/2020 08:34

Ok. Maybe two generations.

nauticant · 14/03/2020 08:30

What parts of the UK weren't deeply homophobic before acceptance by the general public started to grow in the 80s? Anywhere I went was deeply homophobic.

Original poster
Lordfrontpaw · 14/03/2020 08:25

I don’t think it’s worse than anywhere else. When my sister came out my parents were absolutely fine - when my cousin came out my uncle went spare, then was ok. (This was the 80s).

OP posts:
Scbchl · 14/03/2020 08:15

@fascinated "Scotland has gone from being deeply homophobic" are you for real? Dont talk absolute bullshit. Deeply homophobic. How dare you speak for a whole nation, how deeply offensive.

Original poster
Lordfrontpaw · 14/03/2020 08:09

I give up I really do. I read a horrible news story ‘man raped in park’ - I though‘that’s bloody terrible - I wonder if they were a trans man?’. What is happening to society when we can’t even say who is who?

OP posts:
FlyingOink · 14/03/2020 07:59

it sounds as though they have vague "inclusive" guidelines to appease everyone which the shopfloor staff then have to try and enact. When someone complains they can then just blame it on the poor Saturday girl for getting the guidelines wrong
I know this is in reference to JL not M&S but it's terrible management.
I wonder if GMB/UNITE/USDAW give a fuck that their members are being used as scapegoats for a two-faced policy?
I bet they've been Stonewalled into submission too (I know UNITE have).

Original poster
Lordfrontpaw · 14/03/2020 07:56

You do wonder if someone else has tried them on first though!

OP posts:
Danceswithwarthogs · 14/03/2020 07:52

To be fair most people click and collect and try on at home now anyway

Clymene · 14/03/2020 03:12

In my local M&S (when I went to return nearly £200 worth of clothing before closing my account), changing rooms are labelled changing room, lingerie changing room, men's changing room.

LangSpartacusCleg · 14/03/2020 01:25

I’m quite content to continue not shopping at M&S. It really wasn’t that hard to find underwear elsewhere.

Neverenoughcoffee · 13/03/2020 22:10

That's a shame as I have seen clothing and underwear in there for the first time in years that I would buy.

However, our local m&s has a very clear sign in the women's changing rooms pointing out where the men's is, so I feel pretty safe in there 👍.

Languishingfemale · 13/03/2020 21:58

I'm sure that's right definitelygc. And a very very tiny part of me feels slightly sorry for their dilemma. And then I remember that the whole lot of them refuse to stand up for their women customers, pander to Stonewall etc, fail to acknowledge the clear evidence of harm that is done to women and girls in mixed sex changing rooms. They happily accept the publicity and bribes from Stonewall and don't have the guts to even try to implement mixed sex facilities alongside single sex.
And I no longer feel sorry for them.

definitelygc · 13/03/2020 21:47

I have a friend who works at John Lewis and I chatted to her about this stuff. They're afraid of getting sued by these people and don't want to risk all the negative press and Twitter "cancellations". From what she was saying it sounds as though they have vague "inclusive" guidelines to appease everyone which the shopfloor staff then have to try and enact. When someone complains they can then just blame it on the poor Saturday girl for getting the guidelines wrong.

Luckystar777 · 13/03/2020 21:45

Lol.

Languishingfemale · 13/03/2020 21:30

It does show how powerful certain groups are when big companies with a huge female customer base knowingly piss so many of them off in favour of a few tawdry rainbow coloured awards.

TimeLady · 13/03/2020 21:28

I’ve spent just under a fiver in M&S since October (on three packs of their mini sub rolls) Prior to that it’d be £30 pw min (not counting Christmas) as I’m a five minute walk from an M&S Food.

No regrets either.

ScrimpshawTheSecond · 13/03/2020 21:28

This person also not allowed to use the changing room of their choice.

metro.co.uk/2020/02/20/trans-shopper-banned-using-mens-changing-room-ms-12272268/

HorseWithNoLang · 13/03/2020 21:04

This is not just 'bumbling' - this is M&S bumbling.

Luckystar777 · 13/03/2020 20:27

It's totally illogical, no intelligent business owner would do this. So it makes me wonder.

Luckystar777 · 13/03/2020 20:25

Part of me feels sorry for the companies but there's no way in Hell I'm going into a space to undress or be partially undressed where males might be lurking.

fascinated · 13/03/2020 20:25

Is it not just bumbling by M&S? Seems amateurish.

Luckystar777 · 13/03/2020 20:24

..there's not much more of a brilliant way to ruin a clothing company than let males into female only changing rooms.

Same goes for anywhere that you'd need a toilet or changing room.

Luckystar777 · 13/03/2020 20:23

The only suicide that's happening is the actual M&S company! They must be told they have to do this, but by who? Who wants these stores to all fail? And why?

Original poster
Lordfrontpaw · 13/03/2020 17:57

It’s such a wonderful word that rolls off the tongue. DS (London lad) says it beautifully (also ‘ach-away’)

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