Wagamama and Gendered Intelligence

[Divoc2020]

Did anyone else notice and point out this? I couldn't find anything on this board.

twitter.com/wagamama_uk/status/1278945905631203329

this pride season, we’re sharing our virtual space to support
@Genderintell + @ExistLoudlyUK
. two organisations doing incredibly important work in the lgbtqia+ community

A lot of stuff about 'safe spaces' and 'share your space'.
They're already getting some grief on Twitter, but I do wonder whether it's gone under the radar a bit with everything else kicking off right now!

Also, what's 'Pride season' - I thought it was June?!

Exist Loudly? The lack of self-awareness is high with that one, since TRAs never shut up about how their existence is valid and demand everyone else validates them, in exactly the words they choose otherwise you're a horrible TERF.

Oh that’s a shame, I like Wagamama. Never mind there’s plenty of other places I can spend my money.

Wasn’t it Wagamamas who went full on “all our toilets are going to be gender neutral” last year before having to backtrack massively and promise to have some women only toilet provisions?

Our local WM toilets are all 'open to all' no separate provision for women/girls which is a safeguarding nightmare, not to mention unhygienic & dirty. Shame as kids love their food but I did email them to point out the problems with having mixed sex loos, often down corridors far away from the main restaurant-its just not safe. I would love it if they could open their eyes and see that that 'safe spaces' Are NOT safe for children or women.

The comments on the twitter post itself are interesting - all except one or two are very critical. Maybe there are some normal people on Twitter after all!

List of places I will no longer spend any money or time is growing and growing.

onedaysoonish there's a #followwomenback theme going on so all the GC feminists are following each other and gathering to tweet wherever necessary - I think it's making a difference.

Such poor business sense to choose to support a cause that is so divisive and will lose you customers at a time when industries need all the support they can get.

Our local WM toilets are all 'open to all' no separate provision for women/girls which is a safeguarding nightmare, not to mention unhygienic & dirty. Shame as kids love their food but I did email them to point out the problems with having mixed sex loos, often down corridors far away from the main restaurant-its just not safe. I would love it if they could open their eyes and see that that 'safe spaces' Are NOT safe for children or women.

Much safer as either parent can accompany their child of either sex. Would not want my son going alone at 8 years old.

Much safer as either parent can accompany their child of either sex. Would not want my son going alone at 8 years old

The window between too young to to go into the mens alone and too old to go into the women's with their mum is fairly short in the scheme of things. The danger to women and girls from the men in mixed sec spaces is lifelong.

Girls should not be being put at this risk because men are incapable of sorting themselves out to not be a danger to the boys aswell.

Men need to sort their shit out. Make it safe for the boys in the mens. We should not expect women to keep bailing them out at the expense of their own privacy dignity and safety, or they never will.

If there are men so dangerous they could harm a grown woman then the risk to my son is from 8 to 15 at least. It is not a short window.

Are you going to be following him to school every day or to his mates every day? He would not be allowed into the women's on his own at 15 so I'm assuming you are expecting other women in public mixed sex toilets to watch him for you when he's out and about on his own whilst simultaneously having no regard for their feelings as to whether or not he's a danger to them?

I mentioned it on another thread (Tesco maybe?) because I couldn’t find the ‘companies that have gone the whole hog’ thread. They were already off my Christmas card just because of the mixes sex loos.

People in business really don’t check out their bed-buddies do they?

Completely understand not wanting an 8yr old boy going in the mens alone, but at that age they can go with parents.

I also dont want my 14yr old daughter going in the loo with men. Am I expected to supervise her too?
Cos I dont want to be in a shared loo with men, either.
Its an utter joke

This one interests me because I know someone in the senior team at Wagamamas. I'm just trying to decide whether I have the guts to talk to them about this (our children are at the same school).

I do wonder how much senior management get involved with the whole diversity agenda stuff and whether anyone ever does any due diligence, or whether it's just handed over to some woke twenty-something-year old?

Certainly the most basic search would raise some interesting controversies about Gendered Intelligace...

I've worked for large corporations and there always used to be rigorous 'sign-off' processes for any partnerships, but my sense is that this is a bit of a lost skill/process in today's business world?

Divoc I honestly think that there is a fear amongst a lot of big companies to be seen to be challenging any group under the LGBTQXYZ banner - they’re so scared of being called bigoted that they don’t bother to look at basic safeguarding.

happydappy if you have the energy you might want to challenge your local WM over their toilet policy. I’ve looked up the overall Wagamama policy and they explicitly say that they will maintain single sex provision alongside the “gender neutral”, aka mixed sex, facilities:

www.wagamama.com/gender-neutral-bathrooms

Sorry, 'Intelligence' not 'Intelligace' (in case that is somehow misconstrued as a deliberate slur )

Bugger, I have a bit of a thing for their —massively overpriced— food.

We are lucky in that our local WM is in a retail outlet place, so we can use the single sex loos in the shopping centre bit.

Hope they reverse ferret on this. I’ve already gone too long without Duck Donburri.

Ah CaveMum - that's good to read, I hadn't heard that!

Divoc2020
I reckon that fear is a huge factor. Because "diversity & inclusion" are such current issues, companies live in fear and trembling of being pilloried by the powerful groups for 'transphobia' etc. And that's a big factor in driving this. And because these groups are all adult groups , safeguarding just isn't on their radar - they see children as collateral - hence the invitation for unaccompanied 8 year olds to swim with random topless adults in their 20s.
Once these "partnerships" are underway, the fear of the mob is much greater than the need to protect children. And we know where that leaves children looking at the examples of Jimmy Saville, Rotherham, Cyril Smith et al.

@Divoc2020

Ah CaveMum - that's good to read, I hadn't heard that!

I get so hacked off with businesses pole vaulting over women to ‘gender neutralise’ us all it leaves such a bad taste. I’m not a forgiving person - once I close a door on something/someone I tend not to open it again. I know, it’s petty but that’s how I am. These companies know its wrong - they know why women are upset and sometimes find themselves unable to use facilities - and get the still do it anyway.

I’m not a forgiving person - once I close a door on something/someone I tend not to open it again. I know, it’s petty but that’s how I am.

@SerenityNowwwww I’m glad I’m not the only one! I can hold a grudge forever. It’s embarrassing but that’s my natural tendency.

SerenityNowwwww

Another one who is holding a grudge against companies like Marks & Spencer, Bodyshop etc who view & treat their women customers with contempt.
The good thing is that all this has made me review my spending and my wardrobe. I am now buying far less and more ethically from smaller businesses - especially women owned businesses. And I have more spare cash to donate - so if I see a good cause (like Allison Bailey's), then I can help a little.
It's win win for women & a lose lose for M & S and others.

I don't need political education from a restaurant, I just need them to serve me food. Plenty of other options that are focused on doing their actual job and not lecturing their customers and making their toilets unusable for some/many of their female customers!

It's a shame cause I remember when the first one opened and they were offering something that was kind of unusual for the place and time, but the world has moved on and so should any customers who're not happy with the direction they're going.