Trans Swimming sessions

[DaveDave]

Just saw the below event advertised at my local pool. How come this is ok but we can't have biologically female only swimming sessions? I'm annoyed, not because of the event, but because it seems impossible to have female only swimming without being accused of being transphobic.

"Been hoping for a swimming event that's only for trans, non-binary, and/or intersex people? Well, here it is!

To ensure privacy we have booked an entire public pool so it's just for us! Apart from the lifeguards, the rest of the building will be empty too, so there's no need to worry about which changing room to use or people staring. Whether you want to swim laps, float about, or just hang out, you're very welcome. We want these sessions to be accessible to as many people who need them, so if you need a carer who is cisgender to attend with you they are welcome to come along. Parents/guardians are welcome to come and wait in the changing rooms but will not be allowed in the pool or on the poolside.

VENUE: The venue will be given to you during booking to ensure privacy. Please do not advertise this information. You can arrive 15 minutes prior to our swimming session starting, but please note that if you arrive more than 15 minutes late you may be locked out. There is very little phone reception by the pool so you may not be able to get in touch with anyone to let you into the building.

CHANGING FACILITIES: The changing room is gender neutral, wheelchair accessible, and has individual changing and shower cubicles. Before swimming you'll have 15 mins to get ready, and 30 mins at the end.

AGE RANGE: This event is for all ages, but if you're under 18 you'll need to get a consent form signed. Just let us know when you're booking and we'll send you one to bring filled in on the day. Please bear in mind that we do not currently allow cisgender parents and guardians to be in the pool or on the poolside.

DRESS CODE: As always, genitals covered. If you have [insert word you're comfortable using for your chest/boobs/breast tissue] you'll need to have your chest covered too. A rash vest would be best, but if you don't have one or can't afford one a light weight t-shirt is also acceptable.

BOOKING: To book, or ask any questions, contact [email protected]. If you are disabled and need a cisgender carer to attend with you please let me know during booking.

COST: This event is free to attend but as a charity we welcome donations. You can donate on our website

www.rainbow-project.org/donate/ or there will be a donation bucket available at the event.

(redacted)

RedAndBlueStripedGolfingUmbrella · Today 13:40
Least ones come out and said it out loud, that because it's a trans session , likely to all be perves hiding who are wanting unfettered access instead of hiding behind insinuation of "what could possibly be the reason?" type comments I suppose

Yes but they aren’t transphobic remember - just “safeguarding children.”

Apparently a predatory sex offender will see this advert and think that as there will children in a pool without parents this is the easier access they require. They’ll create a false name and emails for a ticket (and a fake UPN so it can’t be traced back), be let into a closed small group of people hoping that no one will remember them in the throng of ooooo - tens of people who will be there, wait until a child has left their parent in the changing room and attack in a pool full of other people. That’s much easier than say going to the local swimming baths every weekend where you can buy a ticket with cash on the day, join the 100s in the pool and changing areas and find out with 5 mins observation if the child’s parents are there. Option 1 is much more likely obviously 🙄

Having often defended MN from the transphobia claim, this thread has absolutely shown me that sadly others have a point. I do sincerely believe that normal non extreme people in the middle will win out eventually though so I’ll hold on to that.

They can't be poolside and there's nowhere to watch them from, which is the case a lot of the time.

Is this the case 'a lot of the time?'

I have been to quite a lot of swimming pools in my time, and I can't think of one where there was absolutely nowhere from which you could view the pool, either directly poolside, through a window or in a viewing gallery?

Its not clear what they mean by 'poolside' here.

How will this organisation ensure only genuine trans people attend? What if some horrible non-trans person just pretends to be non-binary? 😱

*I dunno...threads like these tend correspond with an uptick in signatures to petitions like this one:

www.mumsnet.com/talk/petitions_noticeboard/4668425-sex-matters-petition*

A good reason to make sure this thread stays up and doesn't get taken down for NITS.

The anti-safeguarding posters may consider it a 'Ner-ner na-ner-ner' moment, but I am as afraid of their opinion as I am of being called a transphobe for safeguarding vulnerable people.

Those who have common sense will see that our concern is purely safeguarding, and that we have no objection whatsoever to a closed swim session for people with trans identities.

Those whose minds are so open that their brains have fallen out will need more than this thread to understand the importance of safeguarding.

Normal swimming sessions don't require consent forms to be signed by the parents. I wonder what is on those consent forms. What are parents exactly consenting to, does anybody know?

But sessions deliberately excluding parents and asking for signed forms for under 18, would be a big no from me. Too many red flags with the risk that a. the organisers don't care about safeguarding and b. this will attract perverts who can also read this and declare themselves non binary.

I do sincerely believe that normal non extreme people in the middle will win out eventually though so I’ll hold on to that
Same and hope so

Said like someone who's never had the misfortune of working in the field of sex offending.

Sounds like safe-guarding has been thrown out of the window.

Aren't parents usually required to supervise their children in swimming pools?
But not trans-children?

Are trans-children much better swimmers than cis-children?

(Sarcastic)

The organisation in the OP is for adult gay and bi men. It has info on group sex, chem sex, adoption, healthcare, etc. This all seems totally logical for an adult oriented organisation.

Why then are they trying to encompass services for children when clearly this is not whom they were set up to serve/cater for? It seems they really have failed to grasp basic safety and safeguarding issues and a session for children would be far better served by an organisation that is involved in this area.

There is nothing 'abnormal' or 'extreme' about basic safeguarding.

Boiled

I can't post what I'd really like to as I'd probably get banned but women and girls like you are exactly why we will keep pushing back against this ideology and it's constant lack of safeguarding.

Nobody's said otherwise, have they?

Yes, Golf, you've implied that we on this board are exactly that. Do you need me to explain 'inference' to you?

You don't have to work in the field of sex offending. The actual advice on this very website has been not to include your real name in your email.

Predators have bought and opened schools, and run them for 30 years. And hidden in septic tanks.

And these days it's not even necessary. The paedophile apologist who was a trustee of mermaids, had his name plastered all over the Internet from one end to the other, and his papers published - not a fake name in sight.

honestly. I've said it before, but one of the abiding characteristics of transactivism is the assumption that everyone else is an idiot.

A good reason to make sure this thread stays up and doesn't get taken down for NITS. The anti-safeguarding posters may consider it a 'Ner-ner na-ner-ner' moment,

You keep saying this, but there hasn’t been a single deletion on the entire thread.

Are you on glue? Or just trying to make it as though some invented “anti-safeguarding” forces are out to get you?

You don’t seem to have noticed that the smokescreen of buzzwords isn’t working on this thread.

The GC emperor has no clothes on today.

Are you on glue?

That's not very polite, now, is it?

Omg, wait… the requirement for parental consent is now a red flag?

The contortions are reaching new levels today.

Who's anti safeguarding? All organisations/events should be subject to the same safeguarding expectations. There seems to be a much higher expectation placed on organisations and events such as the one being discussed here. There is nothing to suggest safeguarding is not in place. Could the organisations website be clearer? Probably. There are many that could. Where is the furore over them?

Are you tone policing me? Silencing me? Unfamiliar with mn terminology? Telling women to be kind?

Why is that? Are you finding it difficult to be challenged by a woman?

The GC emperor has no clothes on today.

Eh? In what way is being GC comparable to The Emperor's New Clothes?

There seems to be a much higher expectation placed on organisations and events such as the one being discussed here.

No. Just the regular standards. No one is exempt from safeguarding. No one.

I think the tras on here are using double talk to try and confuse the issues here because they know they are outwitted by normal sane people.

No. Just the regular standards.

That is demonstrably untrue.

No doubt you will disagree, but it’s plain to see right through this thread.

They also provide youth services.

Where does it say, or has anyone suggested, that this group are, should be or consider themselves exempt??