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.

What a clown. I've questioned similar guidance work, and the response has been 'if you don't like it use the unisex facilities'. There are very few of these and they're very unevenly distributed across a large site.

I was just at a university where the previously accessible toilets had one of those multi-gender symbols.
They had radar locks but were left unlocked, meaning anyone who found them convenient was using them and they were grotty.
The whole point of the radar key scheme was to avoid this.

So basically “anyone can go in whichever toilets they want”. Pointless. 😡

So the facilities are now mixed sex, but everyone must pretend they are single sex in order to provide validation for men who want to call themselves women.

I would reply and ask them to explain how exactly the facilities are single SEX if they allow male people with gender identities use them.

The legal comparator to men with a gender identity is men without one, not women.

Blimey. What gaslighting nonsense. So their position is that people have actually changed sex? And everyone agrees?
Even every single Muslim woman on campus?
Yeah. Right.

They are not engaging you in a real conversation. This is no debate writ large.

Gah.

"We have mixed sex toilets. But I'm lying my head off about the reality of it."

It's the modern day equivalent of hiding under the bed from monsters. If he can't face upto the realities involved then wtf is he doing making decisions like this?

I agree you should clarify the terminology. Can't believe he'd say transwomen using the female toilets would still mean they're single sex.

I wrote back asking for clarification and I'm waiting for a response.
The policy was posted as part of the Trans Day of Visibility. So I'm also waiting to see what they do to mark Lesbian Visibility Week.

Our female Muslim students are probably the least likely group to object to the study centre staff (especially if they're wearing their pronoun badges and rainbow armbands) and more likely to just stop using the facilities or leave the course.

@ToriaB I would be asking for confirmation of how they define single sex:

• Biological sex = biological females
• Legal Sex = biological females plus people with a GRC whose birth certificate states female.

Legal sex does not include self ID, they have to have a GRC. Lady Haldane’s judgement.https://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/docs/default-source/cos-general-docs/pdf-docs-for-opinions/2022csoh90.pdf?sfvrsn=8eee302c_1

Legally you have to be 18 to apply for a GRC.

Point out it is unlawful to state single sex if they permit self ID. It is lawful if it restricted to legal sex. So they are unisex if you allow TW/TM without a GRC to use them based on self ID.

I know this is not ideal but it is as the law stands. The argument will be you can’t ask for a GRC. Correct, but you can ask for birth certificates as long as everyone is asked.

The key point is very few, if any, TW will have a GRC so you reduce the numbers significantly.

The other point I would make is proportionality. I know they are discredited but use the 2021 Census I.e. 93.5% identify as their birth sex only 0.2% identify as transgender. Disproportionate to make all toilets unisex reasonable to make 2 (one male one female) unisex and keep the rest single sex.

"I would like to clarify that the policy is that the definition of 'sex' you are using is now no longer biological and has now been replaced by gender and that there will be individuals with penis using the single sex female facilities?"

It's such gaslighting. If you accept their notion of gender, then they've created a single-gender space. That's how they should refer to it. It's absurd to acknowledge that trans people use the toilet which matches their gender identity and simultaneously insist that the toilets are single sex.

The policy is single-gender - own it!

So if the women's toilets are now for people who share a gender identity with trans women, which toilets are people like me supposed to use? I don't fit that new definition of "woman".

No, I agree, which is why I phrased it for clarity. Its like when a survey asks "does your gender identity match your sex at birth?" and you're like, huh, I can't answer that question.

But I think that is a second order problem relative to the DEI person going "people can self-identify into the toilets they prefer, and the toilets are single sex, and we have always been at war with Eastasia".

(Although presumably they can't call the toilets single gender since the law requires workplace toilets to be single sex?)

I've had no response to my query about distinguishing between sex and gender, so have followed up with the email below:

Dear all

I have attached a guide to law and good practice from Sex Matters which addresses this issue. Separate sex toilets open to both sexes are referenced on page 21.
The guide takes into account:
The Equality Act 2010 ● Recent guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission ● Document M of the UK Building Regulations ● British Standard 6465 parts 1–4
I’d also like to ask if an Equality Impact Assessment was undertaken during the drafting of this new policy, and if so may I see a copy?
May I also see a copy of the consultation where you approached staff and students about implementing this policy (referenced in your response “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”) and the aggregate results received?

Many thanks

Victoria

Many thanks all your feedback and reassurance that this is gaslighting. Humans are not clownfish, we do not change sex!

This looks great, OP, and I can't wait to see their response.

How exasperating, OP. I'm so grateful my DC are too old for me (or them) to be involved with this rubbish.

He's petrified to exclude transwomen.

It’s really unfortunate that TW have been enabled and encouraged by the likes of Stonewall and other TRAs to expect full, unfettered entitlement to female spaces. If it had never crossed their minds and they instead just happily used unisex or male facilities and stayed out of women’s sports, we’d all be co-existing harmoniously.

Thanks to the tub-thumping TRAs, many of whom are not even trans but just self-identified cis social justice warriors, we find ourselves in a situation where respecting women’s rights and women-only spaces is basically being very unkind and transphobic. Language is being eroded. Gender is being used as an alternative word for sex - but without retaining the meaning of the word sex.

Now you have businesses, health and educational establishments opening single-sex facilities to TW with no questions asked because they’re confused about what they’re legally entitled to do. People are terrified to put their head above the parapet, and no wonder.

Yes, of course, because they belong to the class of human that is entitled, commits 98% of crimes and can get violent when provoked. And a particularly demanding and unkind subset of that class to boot.

Great email OP.

I would bet good money they've not thought for more than 5 seconds of the impact on various groups of women and there being no Equality Impact Assessment. And that 'consultation' involved talking to a lot of very pushy lobby groups and no real attempt to find out the views of the silent majority.

The Transgender Policy which led me to this line of enquiry links to both Stonewall and Mermaids. Outsourced thinking. 'Nuff said.

Exactly. I'd like to see what the impact assessment (if any, and I doubt there is one) says about women and, in particular, Muslim women. And I think OP said they're thinking of using the disabled toilets for anyone who doesn't want to use the now unisex loos. In which case, what about the impact on disabled people?

What a sadist sexist abilest git.

I chased for the Equality Impact Assessment and the staff/student consultation and I've been asked to come into Head Office for a meeting with our Head of HR.

Good luck, OP. Assuming you can't take a colleague in with you, try to take a note of what is said. Then you can if appropriate confirm it by email after the meeting.