“Any gender” changing room for women in Primark

[Womanwomanwoman1]

I joined a queue of women waiting for (I assumed) the changing room on the right with no sign on. The other sign on the left said “Any Gender” - I asked whether both changing rooms were open because of the queue. I was told that the one without the sign is the Men’s changing room, the women’s is signed “Any gender”.

Won’t be returning there again.

i my local primark its woman on one side and any gender on the other

I'm glad there will be a clearly signposted women only changing room, but what about men who want privacy and dignity? Why is theirs 'any gender' 🤔

Fortunately things are changing though due to women speaking up. It shouldn’t have got to this point but good on all those who do speak up for women.

That's for them to complain about it they're bothered.

On behalf of my son I would care about that too. He'd hate to be getting changed with girls in the room.

How condescending can you get!

OP was actually there, saw the sign, spoke to staff member and a manager, plus witnessed all the other women following said sign, (and has now had it confirmed by customer services that it was an error by the shop, albeit I appreciate she hadn't received that response when you posted) yet you, a random on the internet only hearing about it second-hand, are arrogant enough tell her she must be wrong?

It's obviously supposed to be women and all gender but someone in that primark (probably the manager) got it wrong. The fact they did it that way on the womenswear floor where there weren't going to be any men anyway makes it even more idiotic. It would be stupid enough if it was on a floor with items for both sexes.

The situation might be wrong but OP isn't.

Given OP found herself at the back of a long queue of women waiting to go into an " any gender" fitting room whilst the mens lay empty I think it's safe to assume women's clothing was on that floor.
They wouldn't all have changed floors bypassing the women's changing room if it existed on the floor they came from.

They wouldn't all be getting changed in one big room, there's seperate cubicles.

I was in Primark today and noticed this and actually asked the assistant about it. There was 'women' (to the left) and 'any gender' (right) she said then men's upstairs was the same layout, but 'mens' and 'any gender'. This made sense to me as I was in the womenswear department and upstairs is menswear. Every store will have a different layout so many this is different than your local store.

In the end I used the any gender changing room as my dp was with me and I wanted him to see some dresses I was trying on and obviously he can't go into the women's changing.

Great work OP. The feedback may also be highlighted to other stores as they can see now that customers care about safe changing spaces for women.

I seen it for the 1st time at the big Primark in Livingston. Shocking 😮. Don’t know if they’ll have the proper room in the Primark in Irvine near me. 2 genders, male & female

As I understand it "Any gender" spaces are not against the law, however, if a company provides a men's changing room then they must also provide a women's changing room. By providing a single-sex changing room for men but no equivalent for women Primark is discriminating against women, and by doing so they're breaching the Equalities Act 2010.

I think if single sex spaces are provided for one sex then they must by law be provided for the other. Any gender is then an optional extra.

It was Primark Livingston I was in. Downstairs is women's (turn left) and any gender (turn right), upstairs is mens and any gender, same set up. So they do have single sex changing rooms!

Primark in Livingston

Isn't the Women and Any Gender discriminating against men?
I think women have more important reasons to want/need single sex changing areas but why should men have to put up with women/any agenda in their spaces.

I thought if you provided a single sex space for one , then it also has to be provided for the other.

Cool.
But you "not giving a monkeys" doesn't override those of us who need spaces that are just for women.

As someone who was sexually abused by a man, then sexually assaulted as an adult by two different men, I under no circumstances want to share vulnerable spaces with one.

Not that we need a reason to protect our rights, but there are many. Ranging from trauma to religion.

It's not just about bathrooms, they are just being used as the front line example.

Your flippant attitude to the needs of other women is really sad. The fact that you would put what these trans identifying men want over other women is some serious internalised misogyny.

If these men were allowed in these spaces it would limit the quality of life that I and many other women have.

I wouldn't go to public toilets or changing rooms, which would stop me going out. I would be hesitant to seek medial care unless extenely urgent which could lead to serious things. I wouldn't go to a rape crisis centre or domestic violence shelter if I was going to be housed with men.

Women's spaces need to be preserved for a myriad of reasons and you should have understanding of that

Well you shouldn't speak for all women either. You have loose boundaries about sharing rooms with men, but teenage girls, survivors of abuse, Muslim women, and just most women who don't need a reason, deserve single sex spaces as set out in our law because being female is a protected characteristic.

I haven't spoken for all women?

I said "I couldn't give a monkeys who's next door."

I, me, myself - no reference to anyone else.

It’s been women only and any gender for at least 3 years