It's official, Marks and Spencer have fallen

[MrsSnippyPants]

I know we have 'known' this for a while, but this is now their official response. How many 'inappropriate' incidents will be necessary before they see sense?

#BoycottM&S

I'm so pleased M n S have taken this approach and I shall start using them more.

So I emailed the "chairman" sigh. I also pointed out that chairman may not be the best word to use.
Onward.
So instead of simply boycotting m and s, could we also stage some kind of protest. I will happily involve myself with others or on my own.
My thinking is a two pronged thing.
So one set of women go in,,select clothes take to mens to try on. At the same time in the same store a group of women select clothes, go to "womens change room" ask about the policy, be told men may enter. Say fuck that, leave all the clothes and leave store.

@Jon6b wonderful. Good for you. Enjoy.

I think you're awesome 👏

@LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD you’re awesome.

It’s me! Feathers McGraw!

I'm so pleased M n S have taken this approach and I shall start using them more.

Translates to me as 'I'm so pleased M & S don't give a toss about girls and women who will find this policy frightening, intimidating or simply invasive of their personal privacy. It's great for any man who wants to predate on women!'.

I reckon our mate Jon is being a goady tinker. Don't waste oxygen engaging

YES Well done on behalf of everyone. It says a lot that shops don’t advertise this policy. After all if it was such amazing positive thing surely they would want all their customers to know. After all we keep being told MN members are all in minority’s in their views and of course we are making a fuss about nothing.

They just hoping that those who need to know will know and those who not like either not say anything or put up with it.

I'm so pleased M n S have taken this approach and I shall start using them more

Fabulous, hope all that business of yours keeps them in business.
Doubt it.

My new policy is to ask. If they are being vague with their signage then just ask. Loudly - politely of course because they don’t make the rules and are working people and deserve to be treated nicely - but firmly ask for the policy.

If predict M&S won't do a U turn on this until they have to release sales figures next year. Luckily this has coincided with Xmas where people boycotting will make even more of an impact.

For a company already in trouble, publicly admitting sales have fallen immediately after this announcement will be both embarrassing and possibly fatal, and other stores will (hopefully) take note. I can just imagine some poor representative being grilled on BBC breakfast

Well done LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD
I don't believe women will have much impact on this - we know men are in the driving seat when it comes to determining all things about women. But I take some comfort from the fact that I am longer subsidising them with my money. And we do need to force them to let women know that all their changing rooms are mixed sex so that when we go for bra fittings it is in the full knowledge that any creep (waves) may be lurking in the next door changing room.

Dangerfloof I'm in!

Yay sparkle, that's 2 of us.
Anymore for anymore?

I'm a bit of a chicken so would do it if there were other like-minded types. Should we carry Pom Bears or the likes on us so we can identify each other?

The LGBT sandwich was a sign that they were going in this direction.

They probably think it's fresh and modern to destroy female only spaces.

Good job Fekko
Zara seems rather trf-friendly?

Just had my (stock) reply to my complaint from M & S, so have rattled off a reply, most of which is given below:

"You do not address:

Question 1. Where those girls and women who do not "feel comfortable" in proximity to men can change - could you answer that?

Question 2. Why you have not taken note of evidence in the media that shows those businesses which adopt mixed-sex changing and toilet facilities experience a massive increase in sexual assaults of and voyeurism on women by men. Please could you comment on this.

I would also like to address your comment (which is cut and pasted entirely from the Twitter comments I saw):

"I want to make it clear that if any customer was to act inappropriately or cause intentional offence, the necessary action would be taken."

As a very experienced education professional, I am trained in safeguarding procedures and policies. Your comment (above) demonstrates that M & S does not have a policy of safeguarding women and girls but instead, is happy for them to be assaulted first, before (presumably) lamely reporting to the police.

Question 3. Are your insurers aware that you have no safeguarding in place and are placing women and girls at risk?

Question 4. What would be your response to those women I mentioned in my original email who cannot be vulnerable (i.e. undressed) in close proximity to men for reasons of experience of violence, including sexual violence, culture and/or faith? I should add that I am included in the category 'for reasons of violence, including sexual violence'.

Question 5. What risk assessments and equality impact assessments were done before this policy was adopted?

I would be most grateful for your response to my questions."

If anybody is on Twitter could you ask them what M&S's policy on toilets is. They have to have toilets because they have cafes in their stores, so it would be interesting to see if they draw a line there. I think they'll have to.

Oops forgot Monsoon - well what a surprise ‘fitting room’ signage and no sex indicator

Well to be fair to them as it sells womens clothes (and childrens) it probably didn’t occur to them that they should clarify the sex

I'm a bit of a chicken so would do itifthere were other like-minded types. Should we carry Pom Bears or the likes on us so we can identify each other
I'm hoping slightly more than 3 of us will take up arms.
I dunno how to get this off the ground, and I suspect this close to Christmas it's not going to be soon, but if anyone lives in Leeds and wants to join me in this just let me know.

Karabair

The complaint I sent included a complaint about their mixed-sex toilets. These have replaced the single-sex ones and where there were previously several women's toilet cubicles within the women's area, there are now only 2 cubicles, marked up for both men and women.

They are completely lockable, contain washbasin and sanitary bin - and were both absolutely filthy. Piss all over the floor and seats, toilet paper everywhere and looked like they'd barely been cleaned for weeks. Which was remarkable because it's only a couple of months since I last went in and it was entirely separate, very clean women's toilets.

This is in a 'Simply Food' store. I complained first to the female manager and also pointed out that it was very risky having such filthy toilets in a food store, especially as it's well known that a fair proportion of men don't bother washing their hands.

Yuck Vicky.

My local M&S has still has men's, women's and disabled toilets, although as I said earlier on the thread, a few days ago a woman was followed into the women's toilets by a man and peeped at over the cubicle. The police were called by the managers apparently so I assume that M&S will be keeping a record of these incidents somewhere.

I’m so very tired of the constant pandering.

If the Suffragettes could come back for a day to see what they achieved, I would think they would wonder why they bothered as we are sliding back at a rate of knots.

I’m so disappointed in Marks and Spencer.

If some are so desperate to be validated when deciding they want to be Fiona just for the day, then they can start validating themselves by experiencing my menopause symptoms.