Virgin Active changing rooms segregated by gender identity

I'm glad now I changed gyms!

I don't mind loos as they're individual cubicles. I wouldn't mind changing rooms if they were cubicles. I wouldn't even mind if they weren't cubicles, and trans women who'd transitioned were allowed in. But no cubicles and people who identify as the opposite sex, but haven't transitioned in? No thanks. If they want that, there should be a third space. I don't even particularly like getting changed in front of other women, let alone men!

I think my point is being lost a little bit. Yes, a service provider can use the Equality Act to provide a single sex facility if that falls within the exemption, but that is at their discretion. They don’t have to and in practice why would they bother when 1) they are likely to be pilloried for doing so and subject to legal challenge 2) generally women don’t complain about things like this because a) they don’t know about it b) they don’t have time c) there is a disbelief barrier - most people cannot believe that the law could be so very stupid / it seems so profoundly unlikely to them that the law could facilitate the presence of males in spaces where females are in a state of undress, so they consider any incident is a once off or
4) they believe that a natal male becomes a women if they say they are and from that point should have unrestricted access to all female spaces. They don’t believe, or if they do don’t think it matters, that predators who are not genuinely trans may take advantage of this. They believe that the transgender individual’s right to be treated as female for all purposes outweighs any discomfort, risk or unfairness any women who does not share that belief may have or experience - and more - as will be the case in Scotland if the Hate Crimes Bill passes as drafted - any expression of that discomfort, any letter to management of a service provider, any complaint to police , etc are all potentially criminal acts if likely to stir up hatred on the basis of transgender identity - and under that proposed law transgender identity includes (merely) cross- dressing.
Unless Westminster can be persuaded to enshrine the right to (as opposed to the discretionary ability to provide) single sex services then only civil action/ financial clout of those who favour single sex spaces will work and this would have to be on a very organised mass scale. I don’t think this will happen any time soon.

There’s a market for female only gyms and swimming pools. Someone ought to be capitalising on that.
No thank you.
I like to go swimming with my husband and family.
I like mixed classes.
I like to meet with friends and families in the cafe.

The Changing rooms are men / women / accessible
the gym should not be

There’s a market for female only gyms and swimming pools. Someone ought to be capitalising on that.

My gym has lots of older ladies
the mastectomy group all tend to change in the same area
it would be ENTIRELY inappropriate for men to enter that space

And I'd love an explanation too of why:

Female people need to accept male people into their spaces because male feelings, needs, individual identity, wellbeing, access, safety.... is supposedly good,

but:

female people who need a separate space because feelings, needs, individual identity, wellbeing, access, safety (often due to protected characteristics) is supposedly bad.

Why can male people wishing to use women's facilities not have any kindness or compassion or acceptance that some females continue to need male free spaces and allow them to have this?

Well obviously it's lovely if you feel totally safe and happy in a mixed sex changing area, but what are we going to do with the women who aren't? That's kind of the issue here.

Since any options for them other than 'stop using those facilities' is being removed, for the better happiness of males.

If you can explain to me how that's just and right and fair, I'd love it. Please. Because to me it seems like the world has gone insane and excluding females/gross misogyny and sex discrimination has become the In Thing.

My local swimming pool has mixed sex showers and changing rooms already. They are lockable cubicles but I still hate it. I don’t like showering next to men or getting my clothes out of the locker and my underwear dripping g on the floor in front of a man. I also avoid drying my hair or doing make up for the same reason. In fact I now don’t go because I hate it so much

See, all of our local authority pools and leisure centres are a changing 'village' with open shared showers and lockable cubicles for either sex and I love them. We usually go as a family so it means we can be near one another and I don't feel at all unsafe even when I've been by myself.

My local swimming pool has mixed sex showers and changing rooms already. They are lockable cubicles but I still hate it. I don’t like showering next to men or getting my clothes out of the locker and my underwear dripping g on the floor in front of a man. I also avoid drying my hair or doing make up for the same reason. In fact I now don’t go because I hate it so much.

The showers usually have frosty glass - but you can still see enough!

And the above comment reminded me that the showers have gaps above and below and do not lock.

I've not been into my VA since covid but before that they were definitely signed male and female.

Have VA clearly signed the changing rooms as mixed sex so that women can make an informed decision about whether to use them?

My VA gym has male and female cleaners. I have only ever seen female cleaners in female changing rooms.
The changing rooms are communal with only 3 small cubicles. I often see women naked in there when getting changed.
I will definitely cancel my membership if they allow men in there too.
Our local council gym has mixed changing but there is no communal area just lots of cubicles. To be honest I find that bad enough.

I wonder why that would be, Mrs Jamin?

I don't think I've ever seen someone naked in the changing room at my gym. There is a male cleaner from time to time though that isn't the best at announcing his presence

Yep - all the governments work on obesity (which honestly has got us nowhere) and women will avoid gyms and swimming pools.

If a young teenager raises concern about someone in the one changing room allocated to her sex, she could be the one in trouble for transphobia. If she is attacked, there’s still nothing to prevent that attacker using other women’s spaces or prisons.

Are we moving towards a system where women avoid public places because of these changes ? Are females young and old going to be hiding away, unable to feel safe? In that case many organisations like leisure centres will lose a lot of money. Apart from the appalling blow to women’s rights and wellbeing, these corporations will lose a LOT of money. If some gymns keep single sex spaces, they will get all the custom. It makes no sense.

I suppose what I mean is, there's a good way to challenge it

Nope they have that inner essence that means woman, and we all know the mantra by now. Twaw blah blah

Which, unfortunately, under this new regime, would be construed as assault.

Rather than a reaction to indecent exposure.

Five years ago, when I first read about these issues on here, a poster wrote this all means that the crimes of voyeurism and indecent exposure will cease to exist.

So many other posters scoffed, called her a scaremonger, said don't be ridiculous...

At my gym, LOTS of older ladies wander around the changing room naked.
We have areas segregated off so that children cannot go in
for the ladies who want real privacy.
If a person with a penis dared to get their kit off in there, it would get hit with a tennis racket

I suppose what I mean is, there's a good way to challenge it...?