my university is allowing men to enter women's bathrooms changing rooms etc!

[whyyyyyisitmonddayy]

I'm a student at this uni. I love it here, but it is a left leaning uni (as am I!)
I should add, I'm quite slight and petite and am generally very nervous of men.
Today, I got this email saying that they're letting people choose bathrooms or changing rooms based on "how they feel" and stated that whichever bathroom etc you want to use, you can enter in the name of inclusivity!
I'm very open to gender identity etc. I'm bi, and I have friends of all gender identities. I have trans friends, those who don't conform to binaries, etc, and I respect them greatly. and I am completely okay with sharing the majority of bathrooms at the uni, as that doesn't both me. I personally don't understand how you can feel like something you are scientifically not, but you only live once so you might as well be your true self.
but now I'm left wondering about gym changing rooms at the uni, as I'm not as okay with that. one does not have stalls and neither do the showers, so I'm expected to be be vulnerable in front of those who have genitalia which I don't want to see or be in bare in front of.
this also opens up the chances that a guy could walk into women's changing rooms, watch, and cannot be challenged
it also raises question of faith. it is not excluding women who cannot be naked in front of anyone but women (same goes for men). "just use the stalls, disabled loo etc" doesn't cut it as their isn't enough of those to go round and then those who actually need disabled toilets can't use them.
I also want there to be a couple of women only bathrooms too, because it doesn't seem fair I'm being told men will be entering women's bathrooms and the uni supports this, but religious / personal wishes to be in women only spaces is being walked over.
this is less about trans women entering these spaces, and more about harmful men entering them (although I don't want to see male gentalia in women's changing rooms full stop)
I can't speak out or ask as I will be ostracised and it's not worth my future.

Having some mixed gender facilities is not cruel. They should have spent the last how ever many years campaigning for them instead of trying to force themselves into womens spaces.

Women are not responsible keeping 'vulnerable' men safe.

Women (inc trans women) are more vulnerable in general and especially in changing rooms and other protected spaces
As transwomen are male, you’re actually saying ‘Women (inc men) are more vulnerable in general and especially in changing rooms and other protected spaces*. In other words, you’re talking nonsense.

If you allow one man into women's spaces, you allow all men in.
Claiming you're "trans identifying" is not measurable or provable.
So if men who claim they identify as women are granted access, all men, including the harmful ones you mentioned, are granted access as there's no way to differentiate between those two groups.

No pretense required, no claiming to be a woman. You're opening the doors and welcoming them in. All of them.

Is this post for real?
I’m just picturing it — I’ve had my nice sweaty workout at the gym, pop into the shower to make myself socially acceptable, and there’s some bloke giving his snake a full wash and shake.
I honestly don’t give a fuck about many things in life, but this one would definitely raise an eyebrow.
Is this really happening at a UK uni?!

Where have you been? It’s been happening in gyms across the UK. Also hospital wards, rape crisis centres and prisons.

what do you think woman have been objecting to?

Agree - and of a sample size of 3500 odd people only approx 40 were transgender. It’s generally considered poor practice to compare stats from two mismatched populations - ie you cannot compare the stats because you need a larger sample size for the T group.

I’d also want more data about the spread of the ages. The mean ages are close between women and trans women, but in a small sample size the spread for the TW may have been 30-50, thus lifestyle may have played into it (were they assaulted in bar or night clubs loos, which are high risk) whereas if half of the 1500ish ‘cis’ women were over 50 and rarely visit such places, the population is not comparable is it?

A study of 100 people, 50 trans and 50 cis, aged between 21-50, selected from the same clubs/bars would produce more meaningful data, data that would allow comparisons. As it stands factors such as lifestyle have not been controlled for. It was an online questionnaire for which parties were paid $4, ie self-selecting and other variables such as age and lifestyle were not controlled.

I don't believe this is true. I work in a university.

Why would a communication come from multiple heads of department? No undergrads call lecturers "supervisors" and a PhD wouldn't have several. Also UK unis are so legally risk averse/keen to avoid bad publicity and the tide has turned so sharply on this they'd be utterly stupid to send it out

In my gym it totally doesn’t.
Missing on the entertainment, it seems.
I did see gender neutral cubicles in some unis, but, like, enclosed spaces. No snakes on show.

I'm very open to gender identity etc. I'm bi, and I have friends of all gender identities. I have trans friends, those who don't conform to binaries, etc, and I respect them greatly. and I am completely okay with sharing the majority of bathrooms at the uni, as that doesn't both me

I sincerely hope you’ve never bitched about anyone being a terf or a bigot or criticised them because they don’t want to share bathrooms (or anything else) with men?

Why are transwomen and women vulnerable? Who are they at risk from?

I feel utterly disgusted at the idea that a trans woman would be denied entry to a women’s space and forced to share space with men where she may not be comfortable or safe It’s not women’s jobs to ensure that men feel comfortable or safe. The answer is that they either do what women had to do and campaign for their own space, or they use the facilities corresponding with their sex and if anything awful happens to them, then they report it to the police, as women are expected to do now, when men like Ian Bullock, or Katie Dolatowski, harm us. That’s all there is to it.

Can you speak to your SU welfare officer?

I can vouch it is not. I obviously cannot prove it but I’m too busy to be bothered riling up people. More distressing things happen every day

Send that email to Sex Matters and a couple of newspapers.

What’s stopping you from naming the university and screenshotting the email?

Agree. Is it Edinburgh?

Huh… I’m not sure if giving you the benefit of the doubt means assuming you’re naïve or deliberately happy to waive women’s rights. Nope, neither looking good.

Still laughing about the idea that women will only ever be assaulted if they accidentally go into an alley, wait alleys are ok, just not a dark alley. Love it. Actually, I think you must be joking because it’s so funny.

whyyyyyisitmonddayy
I can vouch it is not. I obviously cannot prove it but I’m too busy to be bothered riling up people. More distressing things happen every day

Hmmm… so this is just another one of those threads we’ve had lots of recently. All that effort to post OP and subsequent replies but now, all of a sudden, ‘can’t be bothered’…

Well you can prove it, you can take a shot of the letter without anything incriminating on it. It would take a few seconds and back up your inflammatory claims.

I find it very hard to believe that this is real. I am an academic and University administration does not send out emails using language such as the one the OP quotes (eg: people can use bathrooms based on "how they feel"). Emails from Vice Chancellors are carefully worded and reviewed, likely by legal staff on contested issues such as this. I am not surprised the OP is refusing to screenshot the message.

They are breaking the law. Men aren't allowed to access women's single sex spaces regardless of how they identify.

So women only get attacked in dark alleyways?? 😂😂 okay.

some men don’t care and will commit their crimes in broad daylight in city centres if they want to. Allowing them into women’s bathrooms makes it much easier!

So for the last 10 or so years you've been in a bubble of your home and your gym? With no access to the news, newspapers or social media of any kind?
Sorry, no one is buying that BS

It's probably Oxford. They seem to adopt all left leaning women's there.

I received this yesterday, and I assume it's what the OP is referring to. The heading of the email was "Toilet Facilities on Campus". Here's the relevant text from the message:

WC Facilities Communication

Although the legal implications of the Supreme Court ruling remain unclear, we want to reinforce the message that we are an inclusive University where everyone is welcomed and supported. We are working hard in this space to try and find the best way through, and are mindful that for many, this is an uncertain time. It is important to share with all colleagues and students that we have a range of toilets, changing and washing facilities across our campuses to cater for all diverse gender identities. Fully enclosed, all-gender facilities can be used by anyone who may not feel comfortable in facilities otherwise provided. Please may we ask you members of our community to be mindful of dignity and respect for all when accessing these facilities. We will shortly be sharing a campus list of all WC facilities as a guide for colleagues and students.

Best wishes,

So make of that what you will. I gather that unisex bathrooms and changing facilities are being introduced across campus.