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

He then said that as a member of ‘the ‘community’ ie LGBTQ+ he found my views offensive.

Man finds women's opinion offensive.

How did he know you weren't a lesbian?

Did he just assume your sexuality?

If it's offensive to assume gender why isn't it offensive to assume sexuality?

Let's me blunt, it's just a man pissed at the idea of a woman not doing what's she's told to think.

Rainbow branding is just branding to promote men and their dominance over women.

It's got fuck all to do with homosexuality or bisexuality.

Wow Bourdic he actually thinks that's acceptable customer service? Well done to you for complaining. For a man to dismiss the views of a woman who complains about the removal of sex segregated spaces like that is outrageous. Please do complain - I used this email address:
[email protected] Please note he's a chairman .

I've been buying from them for a long time and am aghast that they think it's OK to treat their women customers with such contempt. But it shows how deeply misogynistic a brand they have become - as the manager you spoke to exemplified. I have taken a grim pleasure in cancelling my account / standing order today. I also have another service with them that I'm in the process of changing.

Haven't read full thread yet, had to comment on this idea that women with PTSD should make all the accommodations up to and including just staying home.

Do the people saying this realise what they're proposing?

A world in which having been sexually violated and raped, over a period of years, as a very small child, is justification for stripping me of my human right to participate in public life.

A world in which men get to choose, via the violent and unwanted insertion of their bodies into ours, which women are allowed to play at being human and which are disqualified from full humanity.

A world in which traumatised women are stripped of their rights so that traumatised men can have theirs upheld.

Human rights: female edition - now, as ever, contingent on whether one of the fuckers has got around to raping you yet.

It's beyond obnoxious.

Just in case M&S is watching I was going to buy dinner from you on my way home tonight but I didn't because you think women don't matter.

The same for when I was out with my children today we always buy my DD her favourite chicken salad sandwich on day trips, we won't now and she knows why because M&S don't think women are important.

I buy my lunch from M&S once a week I won't now as women don't matter 🤷‍♀️

Lingerie fitting rooms are specifically designed for our bra fit service and dedicated to that service only

Say M&S

Yes, and that’s a golden ticket for men who know exactly where to hang out, comfortably unchallenged, for an exclusive stereo-surround-sound experience of your ‘dedicated service’. It’s an open invitation. Why not set up a stall with free drinks and canapés for them too? Hang out the bunting!

This isn’t stupidity or short sightedness. It is deliberate and calculated. Because any store that was really about being inclusive and making folks comfy has lots of options that don’t put women and girls openly at risk from predatory males.

Sorry for not reading whole thread yet but I am livid. A few years ago DD (18) was in a lockable cubicle in H & M unisex changing rooms. A man stood on a stool in order to reach over the high wall and film her changing. She happened to look up and spot the phone. We called the store's Security and the guard came to remove him, looked under the door and caught him masturbating. He was eventually charged and convicted of voyeurism. I will be emailing M&S.

Thanks for responses- I will email tomorrow. I’ve also just remembered my M and S credit card - will cancel that as well. Was feeling weary but posting has cheered me up and reminded me of the support you provide

I’m surprised that we are still graciously allowed to say ‘no’ ...

Because of course that stops them right in their tracks...

I don’t want special rights. I don’t want to create disharmony. I want safe spaces. It isn’t much.

Some people won’t be content until women are once again well entrenched in the kitchen and bedroom doing what they are ‘supposed’ to do instead of dare asking for what is fair.

Human rights indeed @Tyrotoxicity

Coat that’s absolutely horrible. I’m glad he was caught.

@Humber. Thank you. It was shocking. When she came out and told me that she was being filmed, I naively thought what kind of a woman does that?! I was waiting to confront her and it was only when no one came out of the changing room that I contacted Security.

@Coatandhat
That is a disgrace.

And here, merrily trotting into that domain are M and S.

Picture the fitting room signage. This is not just any wanking cubicle - this is a M and S wanking cubicle.

What a proud day for them...

It feels like it's one thing after another lately. It's so depressing. I've noted some excellent comments made on this thread and will be writing to 'Steve' tomorrow. Annoyed I recently spent £70 on toddler coat and clothes but I don't spend much there usually. Annoying, because it means they won't miss my boycott but I certainly won't consider them for any xmas pressies this year.

NumbersStation
That's grim.
The M & S experience - "Bring your daughters for their first bra fitting - we now allow random men to be right next door"

Oh and if someone could very kindly PM me BickerinBrattle's excellent post please, I'd be very grateful. It was already deleted when I read the thread but saw all the positive responses to it.

@Numbers That made me laugh out loud 😂

Can you fit that on a sticker I wonder...?

I wonder if the faces of M&S will voice their concerns about this? On a morning show say? With a phone in? Hmmm.

Or will they be content gushing about how marvellously swishy their hair feels against their ‘collection’ coat...

Stand up ladies. Please.

The M & S experience - "Bring your daughters for their first bra fitting - we now allow random men to be right next door"

Bears repeating.

The M & S experience - "Bring your daughters for their first bra fitting - we now allow random men to be right next door"

And again

He then said that as a member of ‘the ‘community’ ie LGBTQ+ he found my views offensive.

Complain about him. Nodding and smiling is the correct response even if he vehemently disagrees with you. He's at work, he's not there to give his personal opinion.

The brilliance of Bickerin has been posted on spinster.

Journalist asking for women's experiences of M&S mixed sex changing rooms here:

www.facebook.com/groups/166398616795827/permalink/2006916946077309/

(MN can see from my posting history I'm not a journo, so I hope this is OK as women here would be interested in this?)

I should warn, it's the Mail for those who would rather not interact with them!

Looks like the journo might be new to this - she says on the thread the story idea came from her editor.

First year I’ve not trotted off to get Christmas presents and a couple of beauty advent calendars from M&S. I won’t be going back now. I really hope enough women boycott them for it to impact their sales figures

I went with my Mum for her first fitting after her double mastectomy last year.The staff were so thoughtful and turned a really traumatic experience into a positive one. Many options were brought into the changing room by a staff member who really went out of her way.
Caring and discreet service, we really appreciated the time spent. We were there for over an hour. We spent £300.
I don’t think we could have done this in a unisex changing room environment. I don’t think my Mum or any other woman deserves this invasion of privacy. What are they thinking.