Open City wants to destroy single-sex facilities for women in London

I would venture to say that in many homes with more than one bathroom, they are segregated by sex. Mine is.

Oh weirdly, the first blog post I read wasn't the same one I saw the second time I clicked the link.

The author is comparing apartheid with separate sex facilities.

That's a hard no. She's an idiot and thinking she has a decent argument is idiotic.

A gap at the bottom of the door is a safety measure so if someone collapses (seizure, heart attack etc) then it is more noticeable. If someone is feeling poorly they go to the loo.

Cracking letter OP.

Can I highlight this 18 page thread as a resource for why WOMEN ONLY toilets are so important to women at all life stages:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3203454-What-do-you-use-the-womens-toilets-for

Also in latter pages it has links for numerous MN threads on why gender neutral cubicles are terrible for women and not a good alternative to women only spaces

I have read so many thoughtful articles from architects on making inclusive spaces that I know they could easily get this point- they just need to grasp the absolutely key concept that inclusion also includes women

Anyway best of luck let us know how you get on.

That won't be increased by able bodied people each being given a little room with a sink. That just gives some people far more than they need and some people far less.

I agree that structural changes are necessary, but proposals need to be realistic to be helpful.

Floor to ceiling cubicles have their own dangers to women and children, let’s not forget about that.

We need separate spaces. For good reason.

isn't that article calling for more provision of self contained floor to ceiling cubicles with sinks?

Given their lack of understanding of the difference between a public space and somebody's home, I suspect no.

SO UTTERLY STUPID.

Also I know the safety angle is unpopular but aside from all the flashers and perves, what about pubs and nightclubs. How many of us have never seen a woman crying /hiding in the toilets from an aggressive man, or even hid in them to escape an over - keen man.

I agree. It would be really intimidating for most women and girls to be alone in the loos with a load of drunk blokes. Something people like Butterface never trouble themselves to consider.

Every household in the country has a gender neutral toilet in their own home for use by family members and guests without any segregation, so the idea that gender neutral loos are unusual is farcical.

They seem a bit confused about the difference between public and private space.

However, if they are happy for anyone to wander of the street and into their bathrooms, would be more public spirited if they could advertise their addresses?

I worked in a uni that had brand new self contained loos in single units. The uni spent a fortune, they were gorgeous.

And covered in piss.

They had a cleaner permanently on the block but you'd have to check several loos to find one that you could sit on.

Also I know the safety angle is unpopular but aside from all the flashers and perves, what about pubs and nightclubs. How many of us have never seen a woman crying /hiding in the toilets from an aggressive man, or even hid in them to escape an over - keen man.

@Clymene, from the article in the first link op posted:

"In a project titled 'Stalled' Sanders suggests design solutions in order to better welcome non-heteronormative and non-binary people to public toilets. In it, he calls for the creation of ‘all-gender’ facilities with independent cubicles, each containing a WC and their own sink. "

I used the ones at the bridge theatre, obviously a very naice venue, all I could hear were embarrassed teenage boys and their shouty mothers saying 'it's fine darling, it's gender neutral'

Men often don't shut doors in mixed sex toilets. No thanks.

The argument that we don't have sex segregated toilets at home so why do we need them in public is one of the most fucking mind numbingly stupid arguments I have ever heard. On anything. Ever.

This.

Are people emailing to ask for guidance on what "technical comments" are and when this is likely to be open for public consultation?

Also gender neutral toilets are often gross, men pee all over the floor. I would much rather have the double door than a door that opens straight out.

I can't see any evidence that the article is proposing self contained rooms with sinks. It is just asking for gender neutral toilets. Often, these are repurposed women's toilets.

Can you provide a link?

And as a poster said the other day, for her, the general area of a women's toilet is useful for asking other women for help with her veil. Single rooms doesn't allow for this.

The argument that we don't have sex segregated toilets at home so why do we need them in public is one of the most fucking mind numbingly stupid arguments I have ever heard. On anything. Ever.

Who says that thinking 'yep, Ive got em there'.....

... and on those threads, usually the consensus is that we need more accessible enclosed single unit toilets.

who pays for any public toilets? I thought the article was quite good, lockdown really has shown up a lack of public toilet provision. we do need more, they benefit everyone. in normal times there's usually a bunfight a week on here about prams in disabled toilets or 10 year old boys in the ladies' or 'an elderly woman told me I don't look disabled'.