Alert for Bannatyne members

[HermioneWeasley]

I spoke to the manager of my gym yesterday about their changing room policy as I’d heard there was an issue with a trans woman using the woman’s changing rooms. The manager seemed utterly confused about their policy saying he’d ask to see someone’s passport because that’s the last documentation to change. He seems to think that updating your documents changes your sex and so it would still be a single sex changing room. As you may be aware, Duncan Bannatyne has committed to single sex changing rooms so I had been using them on that basis and understanding.

he has emailed me and asked me to write to their legal department. If anyone else is a member, I suggest you do this too.

[email protected]

I think people can change their passport sex without needing a GRC.

Maybe Bannatyne staff need some reminders about the Equality Act exemptions and a precis of the law on indecent exposure / flashing? It may mean that they get a legal challenge as the demands of some men to be naked in changing rooms with women and girls seems to be extreme.
But Swim England leapt into action to ban volunteers from wandering through changing rooms where girls were naked, after their transwoman volunteer boasted of doing so, I suspect institutions faced with men flashing at 9 year olds in women's changing rooms will find the publicity and safeguarding investigations harder to dismiss.

Ask him on Twitter - he usually responds,

@Crouton19 yes they can. It’s surprisingly easy

@ScribblingPixie i have but he’s not responded and his tweets are protected now

Are you following Duncan @HermioneWeasley? I am so can see if I can tweet him. Or do a generic post tagging in bannatynes which I bet he will then see.

Oh sorry @HermioneWeasley, I'm out of date then. I didn't realise he'd done that.

@Norma27 done - no reply from either him or the gym account

@HermioneWeasley let us know how you get in.
So infuriating that Duncan is adamant the female changing room is single SEX, but the managers seem to be ignoring it.

I hope this can be rectified. I saw the thread here earlier where a man described his daughters’ reactions to a man in a Bannatyne’s changing room and was disappointed. I’m moving soon and there will be a Bannatyne’s gym near me (I actually checked because of his policies). I’m guessing some staff are not following the correct protocols.

Duncan knows this is one of his USPs and I hope he will be all over it.
Many have joined precisely because of this policy and I think would leave if he didn’t come down hard on those going over his head.

@HermioneWeasley duncan bannatyne has responded on a twitter thread re the Belfast dad if you want to try to message him.

Good for him! Good to see someone being sensible.

I have such respect for Duncan Bannatyne. He has straight-up said that the changing rooms in his gyms are single-sex, and he doesn't back down. He shows the other gyms how it's done.

Oh wow that is a (sadly) unusual stance to take!

Yes, that's absolutely his position. I'm sure he'll sort it. He's said so many times.

Bannatyne is on the money you say? My girl has just started using changing rooms all alone. A bit of reassurance won't go amiss and it is absolutely worth the money.

I am fairly certain Duncan Bannatyne will not be happy with those not implementing single sex changing rooms. I hope so anyway. He had always been firm in his stance on the issue.

Any response from Duncan OP ?

He’s replied on a different twitter thread saying the policy is being rebriefed so that’s good news

Fantastic @HermioneWeasley

I joined a Bannatynes and this policy is one of the reasons. It’s nice to feel confident that women only means just that. Obviously it’s still possible that someone will ignore the rules, but knowing that Duncan is clear on this and will address the issue makes me feel better, at a different gym I don’t know if men would be allowed in so I don’t want to take the risk.

I also considered emailing to say that I appreciate the policy and that it’s one of the main reasons I chose them, but I’m not sure if it will go straight to the gym manager rather than the head office, so wasn’t sure if it would be a good idea.

I wonder if the issue is a weak manager of the particular Bannatyne's who wants to avoid confrontation, hoping an issue will just go away.

@Goldshelfie why not use the legal department email address in the OP?

In reading twitter, there seems to be three of his gyms allowing male people into the female changing rooms. Another one in Aberdeen maybe (??) and Belfast and somewhere else.