To alert you to the fact that Topshop just changed its policy to let men into the women's changing rooms

[YouStoleTheBowlFromTheRoom]

Been made aware of this today: a 'gender fluid' man having a pop at Topshop because he wasn't allowed to use the women's changing rooms at their Manchester store:

twitter.com/travisalabanza/status/927198660089339904

Topshop have now been quoted as apologising to him, and saying they've changed their policy to get rid of sex-segregated changing rooms altogether.

Another shop to strike off the list. Am I the only one worried this is past the point of no return?

Also, I wonder if we oughtn't post a timely FUCK YOU DAILY MAIL AND THE SUN comment...

It's a positive move in my book. I see no need for segregated changing rooms as long as it's individual cubicles with doors/curtains.

Not gonna lie though, I'm sick of reading 'I don't feel 'safe'' used in every other sentence these days (in the article not this thread). How can she know if she's safe or not without using the men's changing rooms? I'm sick of hearing it from people who use 'uncomfortable' and 'unsafe' interchangeably. See it everywhere these days.

slothface I think you make great points about how society could reduce the objectification and sexualisation of women in the long-term. But, in the present, voyeurism and other sexual crimes against women are endemic. Just Google Target voyeur to see the numerous incidents in a single retailer that went gender neutral.

Sadly women have good reason to fear men.

He's not a she, Lemon - he uses "they" now, and was claiming to be a bloke as recently as three years ago.

Oh of course I'm not denying crimes happen. But to me, it's a separate issue to be dealt with accordingly. I fear sex criminals, and I think there are plenty of reasons to resent and feel like we need to fight the damage of the patriarchy on a macro level, but do I fear men on a micro, individual level? No, absolutely not

Still don't get why Travis can't go in the mens if they are all cubicles and therefore nothing to fear.

My local charity shops have single cubicles with flimsy curtains. I've never felt threatened or ogled at in there.

Three local swimming pools have a communal space with individual or family cubicles. I don't feel threatened or ogled at.

I don't quite see the problem: take item, pull curtain, change, get out. Try at home for the full catwalk experience.

Still don't get why Travis can't go in the mens if they are all cubicles and therefore nothing to fear.

Travis is a narcissist, that's why.

Surrey if you think there is a perv hovering you should complain / challenge. Perhaps all changing spaces should be single unisex cabins.

Gender segregation, especially within the context of religion, is about othering and sexualising women. I truly believe, as a society, if we didn't inherently believe that men's and women's bodies are sexual and should be kept apart, we wouldn't be in the position we are today. There have been studies that show gender segregation can actually perpetuate harmful stereotypes and behaviour. I personally welcome a society where we don't feel the need to separate men and women and work towards everyone feeling comfortable with their bodies in everyday, non-sexual settings, and reinforce the idea that human bodies are not inherently sexual. I genuinely believe that, had this been the agenda throughout history, we'd all be a more comfortable society. Of course it wouldn't eliminate sex offenders, but mixed gender changing rooms don't turn regular men into sex offenders, and I think if we all took a less hysterical view of human anatomy there wouldn't be this moral panic.

This has to get some kind of prize for naïve twaddle.

First, it's not because bodies are sexual but simply because they are different. The difference causes shyness and self-consciousness in some people of both genders and we should respect that. Secondly, you try telling men not to look at women's bodies in a sexual way - good luck with that. It's precisely because women get to be non-sexual in changing rooms with other women that they value that private female space.

Thirdly we don't live in a society where men and women are 'separate', what are you on about? We all live together in mixed gender spaces, but sometimes it's nice to have 'a room of one's own'.

Finally, whose 'agenda' has it been 'throughout history' that women's bodies were sexually objectivised, commented on, ogled? It wasn't women's was it?

battered rape, sexual assault be it physical or verbal, intimidation and so on

You assumed that’s what I meant. It wasn’t. It doesn’t take you to be raped to feel insecure around men. Simply open up Facebook today and see the list of men who have been accused of sexual assault in the days since Harvey Weinstein was. Open up your local newspaper and see the names of men who were in court for their 3rd/8th/27th time on charges of assault. (And probably got bail again) look at the comments underneath any article discussing rape. You don’t need to have been raped to dear men. You just need to listen. They’re telling us every day what they think of us, what they want to do to us and the courts are telling them they’ll get away with it when they do.

A question to all the people who don’t care about changing rooms - do you care about the rights of a woman to ask to see a female doctor/nurse for physical examination/vaginal examination? Or should we all be happy with Travis, providing that he is identifying as a woman on that particular day?

Why are my wants and fears being given consideration? Why are so many posters happy to ride over my feelings, yet happy to let men into female spaces, because THOSE posters are alright with it. Are you only concerned about the rights of men who say they're women and to hell with many of the females here who are genuinely concerned? As for saying that perverts can be dealt with when they assault women, that's no fucking comfort to the victim!

First the changing rooms
Then the women's only swimming sessions
Then the women's scholarships to unis
Next the refuges
Then the women's bays in hospitals
Then they'll demand beds on gynae wards

Where is the logical conclusion to this?

Absolutely littleblue

And for the right of a women in a rape crisis centre or women's refuge to be supported by a woman.

Littlebluedoll I personally would never specify the sex of my doctor. I had a planned section and until just recently it didn't even cross my mind that as I was prepped I was laid flat on a table, naked apart from a flimsy gown, whilst a man inserted a catheter. During this several male health professionals were present. I didnt bat an eyelid.

Just like I don't bat an eyelid at unisex changing facilities.

I personally don't feel afraid in mixed spaces with cubicles. Because I am one of the lucky ones. However, I have lost count of the number of female friends I have who have been raped (and a few male friends - raped by men). As a student, a friend of mine was raped at the age of 18 - I slept on her floor for several months so she would have someone there for her when she woke up screaming with flashbacks.

So all the "I'm not afraid of men, you just need to get over yourselves" brigade can fuck off to the far side of fuck. I may not personally be afraid, but by god I am angry. Angry because 1 in 5 women are raped or sexually assaulted. Angry because 98% of incarcerated sex offenders are male, and you fools are trying to pretend the problem isn't one of the sex of the offenders.

How can anyone look at Travis's twitter feed and not see the worst stereotyped version of an angry man filled with narcissistic rage is beyond my comprehension.

x 100

I’ve never actually thought about this but now I’ve realised that only two ships in my whole town have sex segregated changing rooms. And I don’t actually think they are specifically gendered, the men’s and women’s just happen to be on different floors.

My 3 local pools also have mixed sex changing cubicles but also two large open male only and female only rooms.

My local top shop is part of an outfit store (I worked there for a while) and has one set of changing rooms. This store has topshop, topman, Miss selfridge, burton etc. It even had a Tammy at one point (only for teenage girls) and it’s just never been an issue.

I’ve never worried about it before and I won’t start now.

LittleBlueDoll - Yes!

And furthermore should women have no choice about men in the changing room because they pick up a dress in the shop, make their way to the changing room and state they are gender fluid? How does anyone know for sure if someone is gender fluid?

If TopShop are intent on this policy the least they can do is provide floor to ceiling doors and do away with their non fitting, flimsy curtains.

sailorcherries I don’t mind male doctors either. But some women do, and that is the point. It’s not about certain individuals. It’s about women’s rights. Which have been fought for, and are now at risk. Changing rooms, centres, prisons, sports. Prisons and sports will (hopefully on the first one!) never effect me, but that doesn’t mean I care any less about women’s rights as a whole.

I don't want men sharing any space with me that I've not invited them into. When I came round from my ERPC I was in recovery surrounded by men. I was laid there in tears after an emotional ordeal surrounded by strange men being asked intimite questions about blood loss and talking loudly about the success of the procedure and how sorry they were for my loss.

I do not ever ever want to be in that situation again and I will ALWAYS fight against men being in any women's space as a result.

"More transphobic shit."

He's not trans.