I chased a man out of the changing rooms ----

[betterchange]

M+S, ladies'underwear section. It's all cubicles and to be fair, nowhere does it say that it is a women-only changing room, but I think it's likely to be seen as such by most users since it's in the bra-and-knicker-selling section of the shop and there are other changing rooms elsewhere!

A woman came out of one of the changing rooms whilst I was queueing and beckoned a man in. I said, I'm sorry, I don't think you should go in there, this is for women trying on underwear. The woman queried this but I stuck to my guns and the woman behind me in the queue backed me up; the man apologised and left. (It probably helped that they sounded as though English wasn't their first language so they may not have known the "rules"! I think it was a genuine misreading/mistake on their part.)

Anyway, no harm done, but it made me think - that was easy, but if it had been a very obvious man-dressed-as-a-woman, I'm far from sure that I would have felt able to speak out.

In that situation (the man-dressed-as-woman), would anyone here have said anything?

where i live (not UK) we still have C&A (but it is the same in other shops too) there aren't dedicated mens & womens changing areas. And there isn't a problem

@Brefugee can I ask are your changing areas inclosed stalls with floor to ceiling walls and actual locking doors, or are they partitioned by flimsy curtains and have large gaps at the top and bottom like we have here?
If you Google Primark and changing facilities you will find multiple examples of men predating on women in them, Primark changing rooms is a category on pornhub its that bad.

nope. Curtains, you can see people's feet.

I've never seen or experienced any weird or awful behaviour except a young boy who was running round trying to peer under curtains. A woman in the queue told him to pack it and sit down. He did.

I am aware that these things happen though, so no matter where i am i check what's in the surroundings etc.

Last time i bought bras in M&S (Meadowhall) they had solid cubicles with lockable doors. It was about 5 years ago though.

We've woken up and are ready for action. It is a new day! 😂

You have a very 'flexible' definition of violence it seems to me?

Males are not females. Boundaries often matter.

Saying 'no' isn't transphobia.

My wife and other members of the sports club she goes to keep complaining to staff about a transvestite in a female changing room. And the club can do absolutely nothing. I wonder if I put a wig and lipsticks would it be ok to spy on women in the shower?

The club absolutely could do something if they wanted too. The equality act is clear single sex changing rooms are proportionate & legitimate and completely legal. They’ve just chosen to prioritise not upsetting a man over not upsetting the women

This grips my shit. The club can exclude anybody with the protected characteristic of gender reassignment from a single sex changing room intended for the opposite sex under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 3, Part 7, Paragraph 28. The club chooses not to do so and then lies to your wife.

Tbh putting on a wig and lipstick is a bit extra. Just declare your true authentic self, square your stunning and brave manly shoulders and march on in there. No-one, except yourself, can possibly know whether or not you are sincere.

You go.....girl....?

Absolutely this. Transphobia seems to have become an all encompassing insult to throw at anyone who says no to entitled males

Sometimes we look at them funny.

Same here. I take my dh right into my cubicle with me so he doesn't have to hang about outside, so if I need his help he's right there. Yes it can be cramped and crowded, but why risk upsetting and whole load of women just so I've got a bit more space?

I will ask for more space before I start of the staff member at the changing rooms, and then of the management in an email when I get home. I am not rude about it.

What evidence are you basing this assertion on, Billy?

Transwomen are a very safe demographic.

And you can overuse a phrase, you know. Such as 'give your heads a wobble', which you've employed at least twice so far. Maybe go for a different one next time; perhaps FACT in all caps or END OF.

You Meet More Perverts When You're Poor

I'm very happy for you that mixed sex changing spaces have worked out well for you when you now live.

However, given how it's been working out so far in British Primarks and in British mixed sex changing rooms, I think we've tested it sufficiently to say that it doesn't work.

Same here. I complained and got a patronising response.