Duncan Bannatyne gets it

[Estellesylvia]

And he doesn’t seem like the type who will back down and apologise to the trans bullies.

I hope he enforces women only spaces in his gyms.

If you’re on Twitter might be good to show him some support.

mobile.twitter.com/DuncanBannatyne/status/1047150346823446529

I can imagine they might in a school for swimming. When you get changed for swimming you get fully naked so it is different to getting changed for P.E. It's one thing for a mother to take their son into the changing rooms at a public baths, where he is supervised by his parent - but for teachers to OK it may open them up to complaints from the parents of girls. There are lots of things that parents allow their children to do that teachers cannot allow - even though they know full well that the parents would be OK with it - because of risk assessments and the threat of being sued and fired.

But there is more to that story that doesn't make sense.

That 6yo trans girl apparently goes to a school with a pool. 'school pool' is in the tweet. That aint no state school, cupcake. The parents are paying to send their child there - if they have a problem with the way the school is choosing to respect the dignity and privacy of their female pupils ahead of the identity of the trans one - they can vote with their feet. 

If they just meant 'when they go swimming with school' - I've worked in a lot of schools - it is always the year 4s who go swimming. Year 4s are 8/9 years old. If the school is feeling affluent they may also send the y5s (9/10). I suppose it is not beyond the realms of possibility that they might send the year 3s (7/8) though I have never seen it.

But what I have never even heard suggested is sending KS1 pupils swimming. (they have trouble enough getting changed after p.e - imagine trying to get 30 6 year old girls back into their woolly tights when the girls are damp!)

That story is attempting to tug at heart strings - how dare a school put all their girls needs ahead of the one trans pupils needs? But it doesn't add up.

I've been tweeting away, and thanking Duncan Bannatyne.

No 6 year old is trans. What will be meant by that will be a boy who is a bit feminine. And has been told that makes him a girl.

I can't imagine Duncan backing down. But where are the screamingh transactivists to tell him he is transphobic? And making out that the GRA being changed will not affect female only areas?

Different when a man speaks out isn't it, really shows up what the TRA's are really targeting.

If I wanted to be ultra cynical, which of course I’d never be, I’d say preserving the safety, privacy and dignity of females in our brave new world could be very profitable. I suspect however that DB is using common sense and probably doesn’t want to be beset by litigation when brave and stunning women start creating problems in his clubs.

I was thinking last night, in my uncynical way, that a lot of men might see an opportunity to makes lots of money providing single sex provision, at a cost, once we fully enter the warm and fluffy new age of inclusion.

Pretzels, in my area, some state primaries have pools. Shallow ones.

Also, other primaries take their children at different ages.

My kids state primary school has a pool

Re that 6 year old boy: since when did any women / mothers prevent another mother from bringing her 6 year old child of either sex into the women's changing space? Our space has always been a women and children space because we know it keeps children safe to be with their mums.

That story is fiction, in my opinion.

I can think of 5 state schools in a 10 mile radius that have swimming pools that I know of.

I was thinking the same thing. Anywhere central that says women only, and we're invoking the exemptions is going to have hordes of women showing up.

Icanreachthepretzels, some primaries do send Ks1 swimming. I have grave doubts as to the efficacy of this, but it does definitely happen. One little boy in my son's class had to stay on the steps because he was so small he couldn't reach the bottom of the training pool at age 6

There is also a state primary 3 miles from my house that build its' own swimming pool a few years ago.

Well done, Duncan

Excellent news that men are speaking out too
He recognises why women and girls need single sex facilities, for protection from predatory men

I go to the gym 5 times per week and my gym has only a communal changing area and a commonal shower area, no cubicles.
Women are all naked, but we feel secure and at ease, because single sex is enforced (I live in Germany)

Useful link on that thread about assaults in changing rooms

"Of 134 complaints over 2017-2018, 120 reported incidents took place in gender-neutral changing rooms and just 14 were in single-sex changing areas.
...
Unisex facilities account for less than half the changing areas across the UK, but the number is on the rise "
...
and the article quotes an MP who gets it, too:
“These figures show that women and girls are more vulnerable in mixed changing rooms and there is a danger these places are becoming a magnet for sexual offenders,” says David Davies, MP for Monmouth.

We take Y2, 3 and 4 swimming.

But great to see Duncan Bannatyne speaking out.

Another encouraging tweet from Duncan Bannatyne:

twitter.com/duncanbannatyne/status/1047551859785957376?s=21

Think I’m going to book a spa day

My local pool has both communal changing facilities with cubicles and separate facilities for men and women. So far no problems. The council owned pool only has segregated sex changing areas. It’s these places that will be problematic in the future as although they do have cubicles, there is also communal areas and showers. I can’t bear the thought of showering naked and a man is showering naked next to me. And there’s NOTHING I can do about it! Or worse, I’ll be told to
get out for being ‘transphobic’...

Bannatyne spa days currently trending on groupon

have been pondering for ages joining the Bannatyne gym near me, and did wonder what their policy would be re: self-id. Think I will join now!

I used to go swimming in a leisure centre near my old workplace. There was a running story in the local press about trouble with 'peeking tom's' in the communal changing rooms, so I stopped going.

So, how surprised are we that a man has spoken and hasn’t faced the wrath of the TRAs?

He's a rich powerful white man. How strange the TRAs aren't quite so vociferous at trying to beat him down.

Good man.

I would immediately stop a membership at any gym that allowed unisex change or showers. I would actively take a membership at one where they rejected self ID.

It’s a sound business call. I’d be very interested to see what the insurers say about this as well. A gym has a duty of care to users - men in women’s change rooms are a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Thank you, Duncan Bannatyne, for having some balls.

It's precisely because he has balls that he gets people disagreeing politely and engaging in debate. Those without balls, pickled or otherwise, get abuse. Funny that.

In the twitter comments, I see one from BBC Scotland, inviting DB to speak about mixed sex sport. (John Beattie)

I bet DB didn't expect that.

With so few people in the public eye taking an interest, let alone speaking out, DB might find himself thrust into the spotlight.

He's getting tremendous feedback, though, so should take heart that he's on the #rightsideofhistory

Go, Duncan, go!