Hostelling Scotland allows men to self ID as women and have access to women's dorms and shower rooms

[leyat]

ManFriday have a piece up about Hostelling Scotland allowing men to have full access to women's dorms and showering facilities - also without informing women that this is the case - so long as these men say they are women when they check in, effectively giving predatory men easy access to women where we are most vulnerable. Which is not only putting women in danger, but also now many women are going to have to self exclude, and since this is budget accommodation it will most likely disproportionately affect poorer women as well....manfridayuk.org/2018/06/15/a-scottish-hostelling-experience/

Oh hell...not again... HOW can they be so stupid? Especially since, I understand, the YHA have "had problems with self-id" and are reviewing how they approach this...

Well done manfriday for targettting this as a powerful next campaign....

And I presume since it''s budget hostels they'll have a disproportionate number of young women as well... help!!!!

FFS

Man Friday are doing great work highlighting all this, especially in highlighting that self ID is just happening now, before long a GRC is only gonna be needed to change a person's birth certificate and any other documentation depending on that, but that's it, it won't impact access in any way because self ID will be the way organisations and businesses approach how and where to include trans people. This is why we now need the Equality Act to be reopened and the exemptions to be updated (after carrying out impact assessments and consultation with women) in order to have imperatives in there in terms of female only spaces/services/initiatives etc, to uphold our equality. Self ID is forcing that, otherwise the UK and Scottish govts are gonna have to take a position that they don't care how this impacts on our participation, safety, equality and welfare....

Stupid stupid stupid!!!!😡Thank Goddess for Man Friday!

Great work by man friday on this - I'm one of the women who will self exclude, as have a 13 yr old DD and I will not expose her to that level of risk. Which is a massive blow for both of us. A massive step in gaining confidence myself as a young woman was taking a lone tour of Scotland not long before I travelled abroad myself, and it was a hugely enriching & enjoyable experience. It gave me the confidence I needed to take the step of travelling alone to far flung destinations & I'm enraged that option is being denied to my DD because Hostelling Scotland think so little of the privacy, dignity & safety of women, many of whom are lone travellers.

Absolutely disgraceful. I'm going to send a complaint, I'm so bloody angry about this.

These organisations - girl guides, hostels - need to wise up and do some proper policy analysis: no sensible analysis could lead to self ID because it is against the interests of the majority of service users - primarily safety - to, de facto, end single sex services and facilities.

This bit pisses me off as much as (if not more than) self id

also without informing women that this is the case

They aren't even giving women the right to make an informed choice. The issue of consent appears to mean nothing.

If you complain, find out who their insurers are and write to them too. I’m fairly sure they would be interested.

I will do bowl. I'll wait til I've calmed down & send off an email cos if I do it now, I'll just rant!

Another company to ask for a copy of their ‘impact analysis’ on service users, via a freedom of information request?

Good idea bowl
Looks like another email then to add to the ever growing list. Good job im not busy at work just now and have a screen filter!

Yep, another email for me as well.

Does anyone with any legal knowledge know whether the women in the future that are inevitably harmed as a result of these policies, will have a case to sue the Government or the organisations that have allowed this?
What about the Human Rights Act? Does that not offer protection that this is relevant too?

*to, not too

Ffs will be back later when i have more time.

Ffs
Don’t they even care about us girls and women
Obviously not one jot

This is really poor. Quite surprised VisitScotland haven’t expressed concern.

This is alienating for so many cultures - safeguarding aside - asking women to sleep in a room with strangers’ penises.

When did organisations start expecting people with ill intent to not take advantage of every loophole?

I don’t know if you’d be able to sue (not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV..) but I think the bodies who insure these organisations need to be made aware of the increased risks they are now underwriting.

That goes for girl guides, shop changing rooms, Hostelling, the Cally sleeper - all of them.

YHAS allows you to stay by yourself from age 16 same as YHA in UK which also allows bunking based on self dec (or at least did on thread recently).

The fact that none of these orgs think this is important info that migtht make women / girls (and in the future poss men / boys) change their plans about where to stay is baffling.

Although I can't see on YHAS where it says anythign about if you have shared accomodation, who you would be sharing with ie I can't find that it says same sex only anywhere. (or same gender or whatever).

loveyiuradvice

Do you happen to remember where you saw the YHA thing

.

england wales says this

"YHA hostels typically offer a mixture of private bedrooms and shared single gender dormitories. Some hostels offer bedrooms with en-suite toilet and shower facilities. Other hostels have shared toilets and showers. Transgender guests are welcome to use the accommodation and facilities which match their gender identity."

Although it goes on to say this

"As part of our admissions process, YHA requests that guests bring proof of ID which matches the name and address on the booking.

This is a nationwide policy that we have put in place to help us to create a safe and welcoming environment for all of our guests.

We understand that, depending on their process of transition, a customer may be using a different name to the one on their ID. If your preferred name does not match the name on your ID we invite you to contact the Youth Hostel and discuss this in advance of your stay."

Which I'm not sure was there before?

Does this mean that they go on self ID, or that they will only allow trans guests into their preferred sex accomodation if they have gone through process / es to get at least some of their ID changed?

If you don't like it then don't go.

?

This includes to prison and hospital, does it?