UK gym to admit self ID'ing men into womens changing rooms

[Whatnextxx]

Here is the thing, went to renew my membership at the gym today but before I signed up asked about the policy of allowing self ID'ing men (i.e. men who decide to become "women" without surgery etc) access to womens changing rooms. The membership assistant didn't know and went to find out, she was gone quite a long time and came back ashen faced to tell me that if a man "presents" as a woman he would be allowed to use the womens changing room. I pointed to a little girl of about 5 or 6 and asked how she would explain a naked male in the changing room to her and did the same with an older women who looked to be around 70. She said she is shocked at the policy and wondered where the protection is for women and girls, she didn't have a clue about Justine Greenings proposals.

The thing is that the womens changing room has only 4 cubicles and they are at the far ends of the main open space so even if I or any woman was to use the cubicles we might emerge into an open space where naked men might be.

The assistant said she had spoken with the manager and asked what would happen if a sex offender pretended to be a woman. She told me that she didn't agree with the policy but that there was nothing she could do as the policy came from central office. What an awful position to put employees in.

She understood exactly why I didn't renew my membership.

I contacted the owner of the gym and to try to highlight the issue did it on Twitter. I was subjected to a barrage of horrible comments, one even accused me of being a jihadist!

So fed up with this, there seems to be nowhere for women to go without worrying that some male bodied person is going to come into spaces where women are changing.

Am I being unduly sensitive or am I realistically concerned about having my privacy and dignity taken away by men who think or want to behave "like a woman"?

Josuk

Every time I have been flashed at or in some other way been non-consentingly drawn into a man's (or boys/teens) sexual kicks, it has seared itself into my memory banks. It only has to happen once, a split second event, to leave a deep impression which alters ones approach. Checking and re-checking when entering a space for example.

You are what is commonly known as 'lucky'. You are not a better person for being blasé.

I sure as hell would not wait to find myself in the situation where I am scared...in a confined space with noone else present except for me and him, I will not take chances on my safety.

I would not have renewed either.

I think we are being to submissive and nice about this. NO PENIS in female changing rooms. I wouldn’t entertain using a facility that allowed it.

I've read the thread but can't see the gym name. Have you given it?

It's so predictable to accuse women of getting het up, making a fuss etc.

Sit back. Women are allowed to say no to men. It doesn't mean they're getting het up over nothing. It means they're saying no.

Or we could discuss the potential problems with management before some poor woman or girl gets flashed, photographed for some creepshots site, or worse.

Maybe it's time to enlist our dhs etc help here. Instead of man Friday, woman Wednesday? Get the men in our life to self id as women and just hang around changing rooms etc. Show that it can and will happen. I know it'll make some women uncomfortable in the rooms, but it's nothing to what would happen if self id goes through...

My question is what should I tell my 15 yo DD she should do to keep herself safe if she finds herself alone in the open plan changing room of our gym with a be-penised man?

The strike against the Ocado (is that how it's spelled?) grocery store worked super well didn't it?

Businesses are not having it so easy in today's economy and cannot afford to lose half it's customer base. Target (a chain store in the US) lost $15 billion after they let anybody use the women's bathroom and then allocated $20 million for floor to ceiling cubicles trying to lure customers back. Doesn't matter, many women still won't shop there and two years later Target still hasn't recovered their former profit margins.

How about just cancel your gym membership? Money gets their attention like nothing else.

AndNowItIsSeven

I am obviously happy to wait if another disabled customer is using it, but why should I wait while a non disabled man uses it?

It isn't a non-disabled man who'd be using it - the suggestion is that those nasty un-educated women use it, if we're going to be so difficult about having penises in our space. As with Girl Guides, the ones who'll be ousted are any natal females who feel uncomfortable with the new order.

Target (a chain store in the US) lost $15 billion after they let anybody use the women's bathroom and then allocated $20 million for floor to ceiling cubicles trying to lure customers back. Doesn't matter, many women still won't shop there and two years later Target still hasn't recovered their former profit margins.

Wow that's interesting.

One for Ocado?!

What gym is it?
And safeguarding in not, oh if something happens , then we will act. FFS .
I’d love to know what their insurers think.