Changing Room Silliness In A Primark Store

[SunsetBeetch]

This twitter thread makes me want to tear my hair out. Wtf?! I hope the tweeter gets some answers.

twitter.com/claireOT/status/1151574652231311362?s=19

I just had a fascinating conversation @Primark. The assistant at the entrance to the female changing room was a man. I said to him: “this seems unusual, is it considered ok to place a male (customer assistant) in this role?”

He responded “sure. All our changing rooms are now unisex, and male and female assistants are available everywhere”
Is this correct, @Primark?

I checked “are you saying that men can choose to enter this changing room, where teenaged girls are trying on clothes?”
He replied “no, not if they want to try on ‘men’s clothes’” @Primark

I asked “so if they want to try on an item from the women’s department, they can enter the changing rooms, where teenaged girls are in a state of undress?” @primark

“Yes” he replied. “If they want to wear women’s clothes, they can come in. Not if they’re the husbands or boyfriends or Dads of girls that are changing. And not, you know, getting dressed up for a Stag Do” @Primark

“So staff are left to decide which men are bringing clothes into here because they want to be with their daughters, or because it’s funny, and stop them. But men that are not related, and bringing clothes in, and it’s not funny, they’re allowed?” @primark

“So staff are expected to examine the internal motivation of a man, when he attempts to enter here, and let some through, and refuse others? This seems like a silly and dangerous rule, to me” @Primark

I asked “Do @Primark know how much business they will lose, when women realise that their daughters cannot be kept safe in these changing rooms, and stop them from shopping here?” I’d love to know the answer to this question

Pipandmum You should read this thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3348290-It-will-never-happen-resource-thread

A massive Primark opened in my home city this year, but I have boycotted it because of the dangerous approach to mixed sex changing. No way would my 18 year old niece who has additional needs be able to tell who was safe and who is not.

Some branches of H&M have unisex changing rooms

Or mixed sex

And as people on this thread have confirmed Pota, they don't have 'proper' cubicles at Primark - just booths with curtains across the front. That's what every one I've been to has been like. So you're just dismissing a woman's experience based on an assumption that is incorrect. I wonder why you felt the need to do that.

Apollo I agree. Men in curtained changing room- not so keen. Male attendants- this has honestly been a thing forever- I have seen it so so many times and I cannot for the life of me see why it’s an issue- they stand at the entrance and hand out those tags and then take the clothes back. I was just surprised that the twitter thread led with the male attendant complaint.

And as for the male attendant, where I live (small town), if Ella and Maya in year 9 are going into Primark to buy new underwear, Harry in year 11 is quite likely to be the attendant on duty.

I don't think that's okay.

I was in H&M changing rooms and teenage girls were giggling, trying on outfits and walking around in bras and knickers.
Would they be free to do this in front of men?

Would some men get off on this? Damn right. The AGPs would be top of that list. How do we know which other ones? We don't know and that's why single sex spaces (regardless of how some men self ID) is an absolute must for females.

So now I need those in favour of mixed sex to tell us how this benefits women and girls please?

Not only does Primark designate their changing rooms by the ‘gender’ of the clothing being tried on - they also refuse entry to the female changing room to women who are not feminine enough to meet their stereotypes.

I found the manger and he said there was nothing he could do. It's appalling..

There is - he just couldn't be bothered.

I don't believe there's nothing they can do.
The shop is private property, they can ask members of the public to leave for any reason whatsoever

Yes. That's why I said the manager didn't need to be backed up the Equality Act or think he was hampered by it. There is no right to take photographs in a shop. A shop is , as you say, private property. The public are permitted to take access but they have no absolute right to be there and the owner of the shop is entitled to ask customers to behave in their shop.

This is what happens when "groups" want to push their "equality for all" and people dont stand up to it.

The day we went from declaring we have more than 2 sexes was the death of sensible policies around sex & gender. Once the genie is out of the bottle.....