To think disabled women are going to lose their rights?

[tillytop]

I recently had a conversation with someone who finds it perfectly acceptable to direct an able bodied transwoman in a swimming pools ladies changing room, to the disabled facilities. Up to now I have been fully supporting concerned women. However, it now appears that the "go to" could be to direct people to the disabled facilities, disregarding the needs of disabled women who may have to queue to use their own hard fought for facilities.

I'm not even going to bother responding to the person who thinks that because women commit sex offences sometimes (2-4% of the sex offenders in prison are female I think) it means that people with fully functional dicks who are convicted of rape should be locked in with the women.

Just looked at the women rapists story linked, it's in Zimbabwe?

Couldn't you find some nearer to home?

(Prob tricky as in UK rape requires a penis).

So glad the changing facilities at all the swimming pools in my local area are mixed. You just go in any cubicle. Been like this for at least 30 years and there has never been any incidents.

Sunday Times article a couple of weeks ago claimed that 90% of sexual assaults at swimming pools and similar occur in unisex changing areas.

Sorry buzz

Im always making it about me...attention seeking

I think the new pool near me has it right. They have mens and womens changing rooms (both with plenty of individual cubicles and showers), plus about 30 individual change rooms, with individual entrances, floor to ceiling doors, large enough for either a family or someone with a disability, and all with rails, etc. I believe that there are also some extra large cubicles with hoists and other equipment down near the therapy pool area. It seems to work well.

@Baumederose

And that's the key word. Feel.

I have autism and sometimes have to use the disabled toilets. Disabled toilets aren't just for people with physical disabilities, they are for anyone who for whatever reason would struggle in the regular loos.

I'd rather use the disabled toilet and risk a few funny looks than end up having a panic attack or a meltdown because someone thinks I don't deserve to be there.

FWIW @Buzzlightyearsbumchin, as someone with a non physical disability, I would have no problem with your child or anyone else in the same situation using the disabled facilities.

I think I can explain more now. I was trying to talk about something that was said on a thread in Feminism, without making this one a TAAT. I see the thread has been taken down now, so hoping this is ok. What happened was quite upsetting to me and a shock. I won't ever be returning to the feminist board because It's often selective feminism. It was the usual topic, trans issues. This time a poster had encountered a transwoman at the swimming pool, in the womens changing rooms, felt uncomfortable and had to leave. (I'm on a phone which doesn't do paragraphs so will follow this with another post to split it)

In answer to original op, yes, disabled facilities for women are quickly being opened up as fair game to any man who feels he ‘identifies ‘ as a woman and as such has a ‘disability ‘
All those years of fight and campaign, I could fucking weep

To continue: one poster said the transperson should have been directed to the disabled facilities. I objected to this, kind of "where would I go then? I'm disabled and need that facility". I thought she'd said it on the spur of the moment without thinking. But no, she continued with this idea and not one person backed me up. This made me realise that although I'm a woman, I (and other disabled women) don't really count! Thread went quiet for a while, then one or two posters came on and agreed with me. One suggested that said poster apologise but she didn't feel it necessary. Another poster asked for the two of us to take this issue to DM. I then felt even worse because these "feminists" didn't want to discuss the "female" disability side of things any longer. I left the thread and started this one. To finish, "selective feminism" isn't feminism and they'll get no more support from me. I may be disabled but I'm also a woman! Thanks to anyone who's read this.

Aintnothing I must admit I did actually weep when I left the thread, realising how fucking unimportant disabled women are!

Disabled women aren't included in this pretence of "sisterhood". Feeling really fed up about this, sorry for myself, in pain with disability. Off to bed.

MNHQ, please don't delete this thread. I'd like it to be a sounding board for disabled women, who may feel as separated from "normal" women as I do at the moment. It's shit!!!