Is this legal?

[Pinkpanther473]

Long time lurker
I went to a training course yesterday and the toilets were gender neutral (if right word)
It looked like the male and female signs had just been taken off.
It was two sets of two cubicles and a shared basin area. Cubicles were fairly high walls but with a gap at the top and bottom and the shared space was quite tiny.

I went in one and there was a man there who also looked disoriented and I jumped which was embarrassing. He left saying he was looking for a cleaning cupboard (random) and I used the toilet looking at one sign telling me to check my breasts for breast cancer signs and another sign next to me encouraging me to check my testicles with helpful pictures of hands holding walnuts.

Anyway I’m going to the course again today and I’m not keen on the toilets being unisex. I have some past experiences that might be making me feel more than usually nervous, also maybe I’m not used to this.

I thought that toilets could still be separate although you had to accept people to use it who identify as feminine or masculine?

Isn’t it still the law to have separate spaces to use the toilet?

Every been sexually assaulted by a man, @KooMoo? Ever felt uncontrolled feelings of fear when you're near one?

Do you have seperate loos in your home? One for men, one for women?

Thought not.

Do you have men you don’t know coming in off the street to use your toilet?

Thought not.

Hi just caught up quickly on the lunch break. I think I will mention it.
I’m on a 2 day course about trauma and abuse, working towards recovery etc. Then you have these rubbish toilets to use in the breaks. It’s not helpful at all

I guess they're too woke to see the irony of that situation.

The only people using the loo in my home are people I know.

WTF Pinkpanther473 a course about trauma and abuse? With 44% of UK women being victims of either physical or sexual male violence (and that is just the official statistic!), they have a statistical chance of almost 1 in 2 women they train actually being abuse victims and they deny these potential survivors their legal right to privacy and dignity and safety? FFS

Btw, I was at an inaugural meeting of a new libfem group last year and out of a dozen women every single one had experienced male violence. I honestly think that official 44% number is too low.

Actually, come to think of it, survivors are overrepresented in this line of work. So if they are training on this, and they have these toilets that do not take survivors particular needs into account, they have shown themselves to be spectacularly ignorant. Or uncaring.

Holy shit OP - that update is a bombshell. Of all places where you’d expect companies to be aware of the importance of single sex spaces, ones working with abuse survivors would top my list.

Thanks to you guys I got the courage to write it on the anonymous feedback form!
also pulled the ‘let’s check our testicles’ poster off the wall above the sink and put it in the bin

What. The. Actual. Fuck.

As an abuse victim - thank you for speaking up about this to them.

Potentially useless contribution but I can't help but say it - I'm just so sad this is going on. I feel let down, marginalised and almost defeated by this shit. Almost. But not quite, so I'll keep speaking up.

Thank you again

Have you not been on holiday abroad? Unisex loos are everywhere.

I've travelled extensively "abroad" and refute your statement. I also lived in a European country in which women would have chased the men out with a feckin' pointed stick if there'd been any suggestion of toilets becoming unisex.