safety from domestic violence

[turnipfarmers]

When I was in an abusive marriage the one thing that gave me the chance to get away was a sign in the women's toilets at my GP surgery. You took a slip from the little box and put it in a letterbox on the wall on your way out of the toilets. This made your GP aware.

Now a violent man can decide to accompany his wife/girlfriend to the toilet and this opportunity is removed.

When/if self-ID is reified, abusive men will simply be able to say they're women and have unfettered access to the women fleeing them.

Anyone who suggests this won't happen is pathetically uninformed about the way these men work and the lengths they will go to in order to have their victim back or dead.

This is so important, and what worries me about Women's Aid etc

it worries me because the women's toilets were the only safe place i had.

I've used the womens toilets when waiting for trains at night, especially at Kings Cross

It worries me because I work in a couple of communities where there is one women's refuge for the whole area. Men have been known to scale walls, stalk staff, and much worse. Now all they have to do is say "I'm a woman and it was both ways" and then what? We all know DV perpetrators often accuse women of DV as well. So what then?

And yes, I've certainly hidden in the loos from certain men before now.