Changing facilities in sailing/water club, can this be right?

[Keepsmesane]

So before applying for membership queried changing, see attached query and reply, surely the reply is contradicting itself? First it says they have separate facilities, men’s, women’s, disabled, then they go on to say all the facilities are to anyone despite their gender identity? I haven’t replied yet, because I think Im missing something? Are they saying its single sex, but if you identify as the opposite sex then its gender accommodating, and if this is the case do they have some special exemption or arethey correct in saying their policies are in line with the Equality Act? or am I just going completely mad ?

To me it looks like they are saying that all their changing rooms are mixed-sex, as I can't see any way they differentiate between them.

As usual it's dishonest language.

The RYA received training from Mermaids; explains a lot.

They're mixed sex changing rooms, as they have used "men" and "women" to mean anyone who identifies as either, not to mean male or female as per the usual sex-based definition.

Anyone who states they're a woman, regardless of their actual sex, will be allowed in the women's changing room, according to their rules.

'No one is excluded from using changing rooms' seems to me to be a red flag as it's very much the 'no one is excluded from this race/sport' etc. As if to be excluded from the changing room/toilet/sports team of the opposite sex is to exclude a person entirely from life. Such a typical trope.
But they're obviously trying to be a bit careful by saying 'changing rooms' in the plural, so that it's not clear what they mean. Are they saying 'we can't exclude 1 person from all 5 of our changing rooms' (well of course they can't - every member has to change somewhere!) or are they saying 'we can't exclude 1 person from the changing room of their choice, irrespective of their sex'?
Can you ask them for clarification?

Ah in that case I take back my far too reasonable comment! They're obviously all for the Men!

I think your second highlighted section makes it pretty clear males can use female changing rooms and they won't change their stance due to their utterly misguided "Equality Act" guidelines?

They're wrong. I wouldn't go and would let them know why.

Mixed sex. Misinterpretation of EA. FFS. Tossers.

I already checked out the facilities during busy periods, basically a free for all, I wouldn’t let a child of any sex be around there with their sloppy policies, absolutely no safeguarding, imagine girl going in with wet suit on, some big bloke enters , you can’t take off a wet suit in a cubicle, anyway, I wont be going near the place, shame tho for all sorts of reasons.

I would be pointing out to them that they've been misinformed by Mermaids who have something of a reputation to be aware and cautious of; that organisations by those with vested political interests has led to organisations being left to swing in the wind in a court case when said agencies then say 'well if we give crap and illegal advice while pretending it's the law, it's up to the person who bought us in for training to find out better than us and do other than we trained them to do and it's nowt to do with us' and it hasn't ended well, and that there is no point saying they care about inclusion and equality when they are providing male centric facilities only.

They have mentioned that they will try to make arrangements for women excluded by their male centric exclusionary policy, so I suppose there's that.

They're wrong over their interpretation of the Equality Act and I'd be very vocal in telling them so and asking if they're willing to risk a court case over it?

However, I'd identify as a man and write to them using a typical man's name initially to see how they respond...

https://sex-matters.org/posts/publications/guidance-for-service-providers-on-single-sex-services/

Might be worth sending them the Sex Matters guidance about single sex services

Personally I'd give them a wide berth.
OK, seriously, I would. I wouldn't risk changing/toileting in a room where somebody with a p might legitimately be allowed to wander around.

They're telling you that men can use the women's changing rooms as long as they say the magic words. And don't you dare object because it's the Stonelaw. But if you do, then, because they are So Very Kind, maybe they'll let you use the families' changing room, but they won't stop men from using the women's changing room, because they won't break the Stonelaw.

They are being very upfront. They have all mixed sex changing areas. Of course, they try to dress this up as single ‘gender’ but it is still mixed sex.

At least they are honest about it. Not honest about the EA provision as such but They are up front in catering for mixed sex.

Oh goodness. Creating conditions for men to expose themselves to women. All the while providing men with the cover to engage in voyeurism at the women’s expense.

This is what it boils down to. They are effectively (imo) enablers and partners with the men to commit what used to be sex crimes. Creating a cold house for women, all the while laughing up their sleeve at calling it ‘inclusive’.

They have chosen to provide mixed sex changing probably as a result of 'Stonewall law'.

Saying they can't provide single sex facilities because of the EQA2010 is absolute nonsense -

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/notes/division/3/16/20/7

Second this.
Also Jo Phoenix list of all the cases that have won and the analysis.