Has anyone objected to gender neutral toilets and got them changed?

[Ellacott]

My dd’s school is planning a new building, with only gender neutral toilets. I think this is wrong and I intend to object, but I can’t say I have much hope of having an effect. I’m not a natural activist or organiser. Can anyone give me a bit of a boost?

Yes! Work tried to do this to us and a few of us got together and lobbied HR. Each cubicle is separate and one side has become male and the other female. The disabled loo happens to be on the male side so gets used as an extra men’s loo and is usually disgusting. Which was the point of us shouting about it. I have had to tell a bloke off for being about to use the women’s side when the men’s were all occupied. I gave him the death stare and said “oh no you don’t!”

What age are the children? It's relevant as to the legal right to single sex loos.

If this is England, there are loads of threads here and maybe look at Safe Schools Alliance etc which explain the law which is being ignored.

It’s a secondary school.

Also, make sure you don't call them gender neutral toilets, call them mixed sex.

Thanks MeOldBamboo. Did you get much pushback from anyone who defended the gender neutral toilets, or did most people get behind you when you objected?

Cross posted ItsAllGoingToBeFine

Mixed sex toilets. Definitely.

Could you ask to see plans? There are very specific rules on this I believe.

Gender neutral is great. As long as they are separated by sex, it means anyone of any gender can use t(e facility of their sex without worry

There's a fact sheet on here which cites the relevant law.

safeschoolsallianceuk.net/resources-2/factsheets/

The school have released the plans. It’s an additional two storey building, classrooms, science labs and ict rooms. The plans state each floor will have ‘Gender neutral pupil wcs’.

Do the plans show the layout? If they are individual self contained cubicles opening onto a corridor then I think they are within the rules.

Nope.

This gender/sex fog is causing so many difficulties and I think that has been the whole point.

Time for a public enquiry

They look just like normal single sex toilets to me, OP, rebranded as gender neutral.

You would have to come out of the cubicle to wash your hands if I’m understanding the plans correctly, and they don’t open onto a corridor.

Definitely object - good advice from a pp to contact the Safe Schools Alliance.

Ok, I have emailed Safe Schools Alliance. Thanks.

@Ellacott no, I think we had such a strong argument for it. I’m not usually so militant but this really got me wound up because of the mess usually made. The though of having to carefully deal with trousers and sanpro with a wet floor was getting me rather jittery!

They don't look right to me.
Gender neutral is only OK if every cubicle has floor to ceiling door and washing / drying facilities.

If it were my DD's secondary school I would definitely be raising this loudly.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/standards-for-school-premises

If they have shared sinks they are not legal.

Include the link with the email jt has the DOE regulations

You might want to ask to have the image of the plans removed from your second post, I think you've inadvertently shared the name of your child's school.

What’s annoying about this is that architects are paid to know what building and other related regulations state. Do they think they can ignore regulations about permitted weights on load bearing walls or number of fire escapes ? No. So why ignore these regulations?

@MooMoi thanks, I did see that just as I posted, but as I’m anonymous otherwise I figure it’s ok.

What’s annoying about this is that architects are paid to know what building and other related regulations state. Do they think they can ignore regulations about permitted weights on load bearing walls or number of fire escapes ? No. So why ignore these regulations?

Fo you think they aren't told the toilets are for all?

Do you think that maybe they tell the schools but the schools insist anyway?

As long as the builders tell the school they have done their bit and its up to school to enforce?

Be interesting to find out what goes on

The best case scenario that I can see is that they have asked for toilets without urinals in so they can be flexible in the future. Once urinals are in place the toilets are definitely male. And so these toilets that have been designed to be used by either sex have been described as gender neutral but in practice will be allocated boys/girls.

Optimistic, I know...

Good luck!