Work DEI response: single-sex toilets

[ToriaB]

Excerpted response below from my email to the head of DEI where I work; my question and his answer.

Tempted to respond by saying "Humans don't change sex".

Just to confirm – does this mean that [this higher education institution] are no longer offering single-sex facilities at the study centres?

No – there is no change to our facilities, [the higher education institution] are continuing to provide single-sex facilities. Trans men may use male designated toilets and Trans women may use female designated toilets, as is our current policy. We are also investigating the possibility of our accessible toilets broadening their scope so that they may be used as a gender-neutral, single-lockable space.

Im sorry your head of DEI is an utter fuckwit 🤦🏻‍♀️

His reply means that the answer to your question is 'no, there are no single-sex facilities'.

Just because a man IDs as female does not mean all women will accept him as such and their identity (as biological realists) should be valid too if self ID is so important. So no, no single-sex toilets and i bloody hope they're making that clear to the prospective students who have trauma, and from religions which do not accept mixed sex spaces. Otherwise it's discrimination, as well as lying, surely?

I think a question to the insurers is in order too. What happens if they falsely advertise single sex provision which is not, in fact, single sex. Who's liable for any harms that result?

It seems to me that this may be indirect race discrimination against Muslim women, who may well be more adversely affected than other women by the lack of single sex toilets. But it would be good to hear from Muslim posters on that?

We are also investigating the possibility of our accessible toilets broadening their scope so that they may be used as a gender-neutral, single-lockable space.

This doesn't sound very inclusive of the disabled people who need the accessible toilets.

So anyone can use either sex facility but they're not mixed-sex?
Or is he in fact saying there is no change because ahhh, actually, they never have been single-sex?

Also it sounds as if he thinks trans people have genders that match their sex. Which is cisnormative and trans-erasing.

Maybe good to check that he recognises trans people have a gender of one gender and a sex of a different sex?

All single-sex toilets are equal. But some single-sex toilets are more equal than others.

Nothing to see here, you won’t find any males in the female facilities because TW are female. That’s what he’s effectively saying. Why not just be honest? The loos are not single sex.

Rest of my email below. Note how it becomes "trans rights are human rights" by the end instead of any reasonable argument. So irritated. Not sure where to go with this next.

Has this been fully communicated to students?

The Policy is available online and has been thoroughly communicated. There are no changes to the facilities available to be communicated.

I’m conscious that 12% of UK students in higher education are Muslim and considering our demographics would expect this to be higher still at [HEI]. As you know, many Muslim women cannot used mixed-sex facilities

There are no mixed facilities, there will continue to be single sex facilities. We are also, as I said, looking into the possibility of gender-neutral, single-lockable spaces.

… would not even be able to adjust their hijab in a space that was accessed by anyone of the opposite sex

Don’t worry, none of our toilets are accessible to people of the opposite sex. I’m have met with the Facilities Team and they have agreed to add mirrors to the back of doors in the lockable stalls to give an additional space for religious headwear to be adjusted, should people feel uncomfortable doing so in the single-sex communal toilet area.

Expecting women who do not wish to use mixed-sex facilities to use the accessible facilities disadvantages those students who require them through disability to whom they become less available.

We won’t be offering mixed-sex facilities, we are not actually changing anything. I do see your point about an impact on the availability of accessible toilets, but actually, toilet availability is not something we are able to control (and nor would we want to, as any increase in numbers of disabled students/staff would have the same impact.) [HEI] believes that trans rights are human rights and we have consulted closely with staff and students about how we can ensure our actions support our beliefs – students and staff have overwhelmingly told us that this is something they want. I’d be happy to talk more if you have any questions, or feel free to get in touch with [Name of Person] in her new role as Associate Dean for EDI.

I know! On top of not having single sex spaces they want to do away with the disabled toilets that disabled people fought bloody hard for for years!

This EDI person needs reminding that other people have rights as well.

Do you think they think trans men are males who say they are trans?

I think you need clarity on who they mean when they say trans men can use male facilities as their answer doesn't make sense.

They have redefined ‘sex’ according to their ideology and using it to gaslight you. I would point out the difference between his understanding of ‘sex’ and yours and ask on what basis he has decided his is the correct one.

Mmm either he thinks that people DO change sex or he's confused and thinks that trans women are women who identify as men.

I suspect it's the former.

Well that’s clear as mud.
Either he’s got transwomen and transmen mixed up or he doesn’t understand sex=/= gender.
Or he’s gaslighting you. Fucker.

Either he's confused or he's denying that trans people have a gender different from their sex. Not a good look, like he's trying to hide what trans is - and dishonest to boot.

OMG reading his reply make you want to bang your head on a wall! Idiots!

Bloody hell - talk about doubling down. Have they entered the Gaslighter of the Year Competition? Is their view that all Muslims should accept their new interpretation of the words "single sex"?
And seriously - have they done an equality impact assessment on the impact on Muslim women and women in general of their policy of inviting transwomen (in practice this means any men) into the previously women only toilets?

'Dear DEI head,

May I check that we are using the same terminology here?

Transgender people are those whose gender identity conflicts with their sex. Trans women are of the male sex and feminine gender: they identify as women. From your response that the toilets remain single-sex, I assume you are using 'trans women' to mean those of the female sex and masculine gender?'

Someone needs to let him know that if a student takes the institute to court because they lied about having single-sex facilities, being a total idiot won't be a get out of jail free card.

It fucking enrages me that the answer is always 'use the accessible toilets'.
Yes, let's make a marginalised group even more marginalised by opening up their space to everyone else.

So an able bodied man will be able to choose whether to use the men's, women's or disabled toilets then?

Is he being deliberately obtuse or is he just thick? Whichever it is, he is a wanker.

Or he knows exactly what he is doing with the gaslighting using BS nonsensical word salads.

You can't reason with BS nonsense.

Please keep us updated Toria

Dimorphism very true, and also 😂