Gender-neutral lavatories banned in new-build restaurants and offices

[IwantToRetire]

The new legislation applies to commercial properties as well as those undergoing ‘major refurbishment’

Bars, restaurants and offices will be barred from creating new premises with gender-neutral lavatories, under changes to the law to take effect later this year.

In a move which ministers said would increase the “safety, privacy and dignity” of women, new non-domestic buildings will be required to include separate male and female lavatories.

Those that cannot do so will have to install so-called universal facilities, which include a lavatory, wash basin and hand dryer behind a lockable door.

As well as affecting all new commercial buildings, the measure will also apply to businesses and hospitality venues undertaking “major refurbishment”

Article continues at https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/gender-neutral-lavatories-banned-toilet-commercial-buildings-trans-zzsg826st
and can be read at https://archive.ph/FQlr2

I was thinking this means it will now be the law, but in fact means that a bill to achieve this will only be presented (this week?)

From the Government statement:

Changes to building regulations will ensure that:

• Separate single-sex toilets facilities are provided for men and women;
• Self-contained, universal toilets may be provided in addition to single-sex toilets, where space allows;
• Self-contained universal toilets may be provided instead of single-sex toilets only where lack of space reasonably precludes provision of single-sex toilet accommodation.

Read full statement at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-to-lay-new-law-to-halt-the-march-of-gender-neutral-toilets-in-buildings

Yes I was listening too. Another stupid misogynist out himself proudly to the world.

h, and show me the statistics that point out the degree of violence caused to TWs in men’s toilets

Yes we never hear the stats on this do we? Because it doesn't happen - if it did, we would certainly be told.

Just got back from a short round trip/errand, plonked myself down with a cup of tea, switched on the TV and there is Ed Balls on GMT doing exactly the same thing.
I really did not want to be in a bad mood today, but it is looking that way.

@Soontobe60 I agree NB are either male or female because all human beings are either male or female.

Gender Neutral toilets as an additional provision to single sex toilets is a moderate position that respects other peoples beliefs whilst maintaining women’s sex based rights and hard fought for single sex spaces.

Ah,the old 'gender neutral toilet in my house' gotcha.

No one's ever tried that before have they?

This is precisely what I was going to say. I have a teenage DD who is now starting to go into major towns and cities with her friends. It is a concern for me that men will claim the ‘right’ to enter changing areas and toilets that should be single sex because of their inner subjective feelings. When mine were growing up we didn’t have many problems with DH being to do nappies etc. whilst out and about.

This. The only way to guarantee single sex spaces for women is to have all three and make it illegal to use a space for the opposite sex where a gender neutral space is available.

In an ideal world, all public buildings would have female toilets (with baby changing facilities), male toilets (with baby changing facilities), mixed-sex toilets and disabled toilets. Realistically, not all buildings will be able to achieve this due to space constraints, but I think this should be the aim if at all possible. Then no one has any right to complain! (They still will, though.)

I think they've got the balance wrong.
I'd rather have had just 2 possibilities:
1)a mix of single sex facilities plus self-contained universal (in addition to accessible loo) where space allows.
2) self contained universal where space doesn't allow for more options.

In a newly built performance venue where I live they have created single sex facilities, pus an additional 'gender neutral' facility ( plus a disabled facility) for those that require that. Seems to be the most obvious and most sensible solution. You only really need one or two gender neutral toilets because the vast majority of people will use the single sex.

The 'you have a gender-neutral toilet in your house' argument is the biggest load of bollocks I have ever heard. It's basically saying to women, "You have consented to share a toilet with the males you know well enough to have married/given birth to/invited into your home as a guest, so therefore you must consent to share toilets with ALL MALES." Bit like telling a woman that if she's consented to sex with any man, she has to consent to sex with any and all of them. It makes me furious.

What are they basing this legislation on?

Don't most of us prefer self contained units with their own sink and dryer? I know I do. So much more convenient for may reasons.

Personally I don't think rude, opiniated, misogynistic men should be consulted on this at all.

It's a space issue- you can fit in more actual toilets if you don't do them all as self-contained units.

Or, indeed, anything!

For me, it depends on whether those cubicles are in large access corridor. Personally don't feel very comfortable with mixed sex access - even if you can lock the door. I went to the new Manchester Aviva studio fairly recently - where they have created large mixed sex toilet facilities. It was not a comfortable experience at all....... even though they had lockable full length doors -the wash basins were outside in the public access space. I noticed quite a few people looking uncertain and uncomfortable.

where they have created large mixed sex toilet facilities. It was not a comfortable experience at all....... even though they had lockable full length doors -the wash basins were outside in the public access space.

That's the type of arrangement which is, sensibly, not allowed in the new regs.

-the wash basins were outside in the public access space
Afaik a proper single mixed sex toilet should be fully enclosed with wash basins inside the cubicle

In a larger venue that is going to be too expensive and prohibitive, I imagine.

What is more likley, and common, is the arrangment i described - with lockable doors but communal wash basin areas. You even get that in many single sex faciities that have full floor to ceilng doors

I'm not sure what "positive impact" there is having to walk past urinals to be able to use the 1 cubicle in this "gender neutral" space.

https://twitter.com/polblonde/status/1787371436815888519

The Male toilets often have baby changing facilities in and things like Shopping Centres have a separate Baby Change unit which can be used by any parent. Trying to portray this as somehow a step backwards is surely a bit disingenuous.

You know the issue full well, I’m sure.

Yes it’s all about cost

the watershed in Bristol has exactly the arrangement you describe with the floor to ceiling doors and then shared washbasins - the toilets are labelled tweely as “for everyone” so yes mixed sex - I hate it

What with this and the puberty blocker ban, schools guidance and the single sex wards in hospitals, it almost feels as if the Tories are trying to put in as much legislation to stay Labour's hand on the gender woo as they can before they are voted out. Sort of like the salting-the-earth approach but with GOOD intentions. Feels weird - almost as if they actually care!
I wonder If they'll do prisons next.

As a previous poster has said, this is just a "dead squirrell" strategy to distract from the disastrous election results.

The conservatives have been in office since 2010. All of a sudden they give a shit about womens spaces

I was in a distillery on holiday recently and the toilets were 'gender neutral'. All had enclosed hand dryers etc and quite fancy like the whole place, but the first three I went into (there were loads of toilets) all had the seats up with piss around the toilet/floor. It really irks me so much. I hate them.