Hampstead women's pond goes trans

[Bouledeneige]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-48380940

It's a very special women's place. Now does have changing rooms - they are very busy at peak times but not all the time. There aren't many young girls there - you have to be able to swim independently as you cant touch the bottom in the ponds - but its definitely a very special place that has felt 'very owned' by women.

There were a couple of good letters in last week's local paper, the Ham&High. I thought of writing to support but felt too defeated I wonder if there'll be any response this week. They were very clear, measured and true

I think sadly this will happen more and more

There is already a mixed space available and it terrifies me that more and more spaces are being taken away from us, especially as I have suffered abuse from a man, and take my safe spaces very seriously, and find I am becoming more restricted in where I feel safe. Though clearly as a woman my rights are far less important so I should just put up and shut up!

I really feel I need to get involved and start speaking out about things, as I can't sit back any longer. Any advice on how to get more involved in this please?

Sorry RuddyTrees

One my swimming friends is now very unwilling to go. I shall keep going because I’m not prepared to be completely ousted from my space, but I’m fortunate not have any personal reasons to make that difficult.

If anyone wants to see the film about the ponds, a slightly shortened version is on iPlayer at the moment. www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000599z/swimming-through-the-seasons-the-hampstead-ponds

Here is a link to some good letters in the local paper. Scroll through the first couple about other issues
www.hamhigh.co.uk/ham-high-letters-may-30-2019-1-6078369

Here is a link to some good letters in the local paper. Scroll through the first couple about other issues:
www.hamhigh.co.uk/ham-high-letters-may-30-2019-1-6078369

Here is a link to some good letters in the local paper. Scroll through the first couple about other issues:
www.hamhigh.co.uk/ham-high-letters-may-30-2019-1-6078369

Bloody hell! I feel strongly about it but that is ridiculous. Wouldn't load first time so tried again .... and again

There is a legal challenge being prepared. Any woman who used the ponds, who is effected by this appalling decision, and would like to challenge this should contact Woman's Place UK: womansplaceuk.org/contact/

It is so sad that a valuable space like this has been effectively lost to some users - either because they will now feel unsafe or awkward knowing that this isn't effectively single sex any more, or through their religious beliefs. There is already a mixed bathing area available but clearly to have just one space open to just women is too much for some and out it goes.

So a woman with a penis could go past the sign that says 'No Men beyond this point'...as long as she identifies as a woman......#insanity

"Ministry of Justice stats show that trans women in UK prisons have a male pattern of violence, and are more likely to have committed a sex offence than the rest of the male prison population"

So women will be safer in the mixed pool really.....

So there has always been a problem with peeping toms trying to see in from the outside. And who now could simply be waved inside to enjoy the view, with only a little bit of pretence needed. Does the Corporation really believe that peeping toms are an honourable bunch who will nobly stick to the bushes?

Women who’s religion now means they cannot use the pond, surely are not having their rights held up under the equality act. I wonder if anything is going on around this.

Thank you Sunkisses for recommending Woman's Place. I've signed up and it looks excellent

I was attacked on Facebook for stating that no male bodied person (whatever their identity) who respects women could ever demand access to women's spaces when there is a mixed sex option available.

It's about validation and woke points and women exist only to be trampled on in the race to elevate those who least deserve it.

No male bodied person however they identify can be part of a woman’s only space - as soon as they enter it it becomes mixed sex.

Disappointing letter in last week's issue of our local paper

So a woman with a penis could go past the sign that says 'No Men beyond this point'...as long as she identifies as a woman......#insanity

A man (who of course has a penis) could go past the sign that says 'No Man beyond this point'..... as long as he claims to identify as a woman.

The 'mob' eh , nice

Women who’s religion now means they cannot use the pond, surely are not having their rights held up under the equality act.

I doubt I'm going to win any friends with this, but this is one thing that annoys me about the Trans, or rather anti-trans debate. Should feminists really be supporting and enabling extreme sex separation in fundamentalist religion when it happens to support their case against trans? The sex separation in fundamentalist religion is almost invariably weaponised against women. I'm less concerned about cultural sexism being unable to cope with mixed sex spaces [not at all actually] than I am about the plain rights to privacy and dignity of each biological sex, and the likelihood of malicious abuse.

No surprise that a man wrote a letter complaining about women complaining about men using their spaces.

Should feminists really be supporting and enabling extreme sex segregation in fundamentalist religion when it happens to support their case against trans
Well feminists can certainly support the women who live within these fundamentalist communities. What's the alternative, wash our hands of them? Leave them to get on with it and lose whatever facilities they have to interact with the secular community and participate in public life?
It doesn't matter to me what motives a woman has for wanting to use single sex facilities (or men for that matter), I just happen to think that there's nothing wrong with same sex swimming sessions if thats what some people want.

This is purely about male validation. Nothing more substantial or important than that.
There’s another pond that anyone can go to and in that pond they can express their gender however the fuck they want if they are male and don’t want to use the men’s- that pond is the mixed pond. The ‘gender neutral’ pond, the ‘unisex’ pond. Whatever people feel comfortable saying.

That amenity has always been available. Why the fuck does the women’s pond then have to also become ‘the pool that anyone can go to’? It’s outrageous that WOMEN are now put off from using this unique amenity that is INTENDED FOR THEM.