John Lewis 'allows trans women into bra-fitting rooms' as retailer hit by furious gender row

[IwantToRetire]

High street giant John Lewis is at the centre of a furious row amid claims its controversial trans policies put the safety of female staff and customers at risk, it can be revealed.

The retail group is facing claims its inclusive transgender policies – claimed to have been unilaterally imposed on staff – are "dangerous" and relegate women to "second class employees".

Lesley Pickup, who quit her job as a "selling partner" in John Lewis' Cheadle branch, allowed her resignation letter to be published on TV comedy writer and women's rights campaigner Graham Linehan's Substack platform, "The Glinner Update". In her letter, she insisted "female colleagues live in fear of dismissal if they speak out".

Ms Pickup said that for the past 20 years, she had been "involved with female victims from all faiths, cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds who have been subjected to domestic and sexual violence and psychological abuse by men".

For some, she said, work offered "the only time in their lives where they should have guaranteed female-only safe spaces free from the demands of men regardless of who those men claim to be".

Full story https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/uk-news/john-lewis-allows-trans-men-33622299

I doubt it. Unless it came with some very unusual Ts&Cs.

Adding John Lewis to the ever growing list of retailers that won't get my money. Shame really, I used to think that JL was an ethical brand, and bought quite a lot from them.

I worked in a well known but now defunct department store in the late 1980s and I've seen what men will do on the shop floor of the ladies underwear dept,never mind in a private fitting room.They certainly weren't worried about being seen,and it was absolutely vile and disgusting. Some of the underwear was soiled and had to be disposed of. To this day, I warn my daughters not to buy underwear that is out on hangers on the shop floor if they can possibly avoid doing so.
The message is getting out there. My elderly mum,who has had a mastectomy told me that she can't try bras on in M&S now as "they let men into the ladies fitting rooms". She refuses to shop there now,but what has it come to,that elderly ladies who have had surgery for cancer can't even try on a bra with the fear of encountering a bloke? It's shameful.

@ReadingWorm there was the spa in the US(?) where policies like this allowed a naked aroused men / man to join a women only naked spa session.

He's been charged now but only after the Spa tried to double down quoting their inclusive use policy and a whole load of 'confusion' over whether the penis owner was a man - Not Allowed Disgusting Pervert or a TW - Absolutely Fine Come On In.

And therein lies the rub. As without - what, a dress, makeup and some awful heels, who can tell??

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/WiSpaa_controversy

My concern now is are transwomen now allowed to work at John Lewis/m&s etc as bra fitters?

There was at least one, a few years back @magicmushrooms

Thanks for posting this @ArabellaScott

Who says you can't mention it?

It's only female socialisation that says if a man is displaying an unwanted boner in your vicinity, you should ask yourself if it's rude to mention that.

Or idiots like Laurie Penny, but you don't have to pay attention to her.

I'm sure there will be. There was one at Marks & Spencer's at Marble Arch iirc.

It tells you everything you need to know about places like John Lewis.

Most women and girls, showing up for a bra fitting encountering a man who insists he's a woman would feel utterly violated.

John Lewis don't seem to give a fuck.

And no, of course men do not need bra fittings. Good Lord. Most women never even have one.

And if they refuse to serve a transwoman who appears aroused, they are likely to lose their job.

What I said was lowly shop assistants DON’T have the luxury of refusing to serve customers if they are suspicious that they are sexually aroused. Why would I be able to evidence that with a link? We are not talking here about men who have their erections out on full display, we are talking about men who are getting their kicks from making women feel uncomfortable with comments or looks or being in places they are not welcome. I’ve worked with the public for my entire life and it’s just the way of the world that you occasionally get men that you have to deal with whose slightly odd behaviour is probably sexually motivated. It’s never overt enough for you to refuse to serve them and obviously if it’s a man pretending to be female nobody dares say a thing because in today’s trans obsessed culture everyone is scared shitless of being outed as transphobic.

I think you will find plenty. Just quote anything said about JKRowling, also the writer who lost her job (and became a lorry driver instead) after just liking a JKR tweet etc.

No, no-one's rights trump anyone else's, which is why transwomen should stay out of female fitting rooms.

Surely Bras that are designed to be worn by biological women are very unlikely to fit a transwoman. The ratio from back / shoulder size to cup size would be completely different.

'In John Lewis at Bluewater Again'

In which 'Kim' visits the ladies' toilets, and films himself in mirrors, in the children's department, changing into a 'shorter skirt' at one point.

That’s JL off my list of shops and online stores then. Sigh, where to get my new lamps now….

@ArabellaScott I'm so tired of these men.

These men are inevitable, and yes, tedious and gross.

What is not inevitable is their fetishes being celebrated by policy, and women being forced to participate, told not to complain, etc.

Exactly.

I’m so naive. Why does ‘Kim’ get from walking around JL like that? Is it just being out in public trying to look like a woman?

Autogynephelia. Walking around in public in women’s clothes turns them on.

Males with this paraphilia have written that they find it extremely arousing just to put a pair of tights on.

Good grief.

I’m torn between feeling like I ought to know this stuff and quite liking my ignorance……

Ah, I see, so a young nervous, vulnerable girl just getting fitted for her very first bra now has to contend with seeing men parading about in her space in the bra fitting area? Fantastic, and well done to John Lewis for such progressive thinking and their TOTAL disregard for not only grown women, but girls going through one of the big events in their puberty at a highly emotional time in their lives.

Seriously.
Fuck you John Lewis.

And fuck you every man who goes into a female changing room.