I am about to ID as a man

[YesItsADebate]

In 1.5 hours, I will be identifying as a gay man who does not conform with male gender stereotypes. I expect my local leisure facility to comply with the Swim England guidelines and agree that I am entitled to access the men-only swimming sessions, the male showers and toilets and to wear swimming trunks. I also expect them to re-educate any other man who objects to any of the above.

In other words, I have a meeting with the local swimming pool at 10 to see whether or not I’ll be resorting to topless swimming and public nudity tonight in an effort to prove my point that the Swim England guidelines are ridiculous

Wish me luck!

You could say throwing stones to break shop windows was childish and pointless. But it's part of the reason we are able to vote.

Oh, and I don’t think that this should stop the OP from doing it.
It is up the organisations to put policies in place to safeguard against such goings on.
I actually think this is the way to get our views heard. Upset/ bother the men and see how things change.

I'm so fascinated to see how this goes! Good luck Op!

Crikey good luck OP. I think this is brilliant.

Interesting isn't it that the staff were all flummoxed and perplexed by this suggestion, yet women are just supposed to accept it without question. I wonder how many actual people Swim England consulted before issuing these guidelines - either the staff who have to implement them or the ordinary users who have to just put up with them.

So what happened??????

There is a men-only swimming session in Birmingham which is (although it doesn't explicitly say this) aimed at conservative Muslims. You can get a flavour of the issues from this petition:

epetition.birmingham.public-i.tv/epetition_core/community/petition/1542

A woman turning up, self-identifying as a man and demanding to swim would be an interesting way to test the council's resolve on the issues.

Bravo. Watching with curiosity!

Brilliant op, just brilliant. Thank you for doing this, I'm behind you 1000000%

I'm hanging round my Virgin gym on the offchance I see OP

It would definitely be better with a gang. If self-ID is allowed, I’m quite happy to name the pool. If anyone would like to join me this evening, and every Friday evening after that, it’s near-ish to London.

Amazing! Good on you. 👏🏼👏🏻👏🏽👏🏿

When giving birth should we identify as men and demand to go into a male ward.

@TallulahWaitingInTheRain

I think men will turn out to be fiercely protective of male spaces of all kinds. It just hasn't really come up yet as they haven't yet been threatened.

We saw this with the R&A golf club (and others) who did not want female members. Women still do not have a changing room in the famous clubhouse (possible starting point?).
Another target in the town should be the Kate Kennedy Club - still all male.

Brilliant well done!

Fabulous OP

Good luck you brave woman.

OP you are my heroine hero of the day.

fantastic OP

OfficerGrant what’s wrong with the everyone active group?

So we must obviously protect men from being titilated by being exposed to breasts poor things but women just need to get on with the feelings (various) created by naked penises around them while changing?

No double standards there at all...

OP can I just say THANK YOU

Women like you are just incredible. I'm sure we all wish we had the balls to do something like this. I'm 100% behind you and hope to be even half the women you are one day!

At the moment I debate with friends but am too scared to put my neck out on FB or anything. wimp.

Good Luck!

I would happily join in although I'm not near enough to near-ish London to join your particular protest OP. On the other hand if a large enough protest was organised, at Hampstead say, I'd consider it.

You are a hero!!!!!! Please let us know how you get on!!! And enjoy your swim!!!!

Indeed I think this is the only answer, see how men like it when women begin invading their spaces instead!!!!

Just coming back to kiss your arse again op. Amazing. I've not heard of anyone else irl stick their head above the parapet in this way. You will be a legend

Fantastic idea OP