Can we stop a man coming to our women's group?

[AuthenticVoice]

Does anyone know what the UK law states about this?
It's a tiny local women's group, barely even regularly attended.
He's a middle aged bloke saying he identifies as female and wants she / her pronouns. The usual. He's also exceptionally creepy and acts out a lot in other ways.

Is it even legally possible for any women's spaces to refuse or ask such men to go somewhere else these days?

Our area is exceptionally well served with things for either men and / or trans people to join up with. I feel that it's a deliberate targeting. Ideas?

I feel that it's a deliberate targeting.

You would be right. It is a man objecting to women having women own spaces and being a (creepy) man feels he should invade it. I cannot image 'Mens Sheds' having this issue abut women identifying as men and wanting to join (although some do admit women).

I image if you suddenly became a mixed group with an interest in setting up a 'shed' group the issue would be gone.

Please don’t take my word for it as I don’t know the legal side but there was a similar thread a few months ago.

I saw posts that said you can choose who you want in the group.

I don’t think you can say it’s because of sex, unless your group is covered by certain acts but you can refuse to have someone join for other reasons e.g. too ‘many members’ (just be careful when adding new members).

But once they’re in then it’s very difficult to get rid of them.

If possible, I would say you are not accepting new members right now but you’ll take their name and contact details for when you are.
To give you time to clarify the legal rules.

Not many, it fluctuates, just a few people, maybe 4 of us on average in any one time. Usually older women.

I agree with this too.

If he’s already in the group then don’t mention his gender/sex.

If his behaviour is inappropriate then remove him for that reason.

Do you have a set of rules to follow before joining?
Has he broken any of these?

Agree, I feel pretty sure if the group were described as mixed, they would not feel interested.

Am fairly sure they'd love to have a reason to call the police and take some legal action.

Can you all get your husbands/ brothers to identify as women and be the only 'women' at the next meeting when this person turns up? Meanwhile the partners (you lot) can just be a group of friends meet up somewhere else while the 'ladies' are at their group?

I love this!

Unsure as it's not my group and I didn't start it.
My response is to leave pending whether the organiser is going to find a solution or is even legally able to.
It's in a local community space and somewhat supported by the local authority, so it's a bit tricker than if it were in a private space.

His behaviour is all round creepy but nothing such as rule breaks or unlawful.
It's such a cliche and such a par for the course situation.
I'm not sitting in a chair to facilitate his acting out and am keenly aware that can't openly say anything or he'll have the police on it. Also wonder if he's got back up and is being an activist or is just as genuinely creepy and pathetic as appears.

Great idea! :D

So is it the fact that he identifies as female or that he's creepy?

Why can’t you openly say anything? Even if you were practicing unlawful discrimination, it’s not a criminal matter so calling the police would be pointless.

I’d just be open and bar him from the group. If he wants to take the group to court he can.

This is a fantastic suggestion.

In your shoes, OP, I'd leave the group and tell the Orga user why. If poss meet with other members in one of your homes as a private group of friends.

Things wi be clearer, one way or another, after we are told - legally - what a woman is.

Yep he wants to be she / her and use the ladies.

Why he wants to come is anyone's guess but negative attention seeking and drama is my suspicion.

He could be an activist from a trans lobby movement as I know they do trawl for anything that they can confront and disrupt or 'correct' as they see it. That's what worries me is he wants to ring the police on us.

There's so many things he could go to including lots of LGBTQ+ befriending groups, all forms of mixed community groups and obviously he is a man with zero effort to not look like one, including beard, so he can join Men's Shed and all that with no bother.

I think some of the posters above have now cleared up that this would not be unlawful discrimination, however, I wasn't sure.

I particularly don't wish to have any police interest in me and can't risk an allegation or investigation. As many people also can't for all sorts of reasons. I think the group organiser is the only one who can confront it though.

For me, that he claims to be a woman in need of a women's support group when is in fact a man.

The creepiness is an add on and is such a cliche, as if he couldn't possibly be doing what he's doing if he wasn't so creepy, seems to be hand in hand with these type of men.

Just make the group unbelievably boring or weird for a couple of weeks and he'll probably stop coming along. Don't give him any extra attention. I hope this sorts itself out.

Sister Salon (mentioned by early poster) shares advice on their website on how to word things to create a single sex space legally.

This is so unfair on you and your group. Trans women should be encouraged to start their own groups where they will be safe to discuss whatever issues they want. This is like harassment. I am wishing you the best of luck.

I'm sorry you have to deal with this. It's adult bullying. 😞

I sincerely hope common sense prevails one day.

Have it at your house. No-one has the right to access your house or a private meeting anywhere public.

Please let us know how you get on OP as it will be useful for other groups who may have to repel creepy men.

Unbelievable that this man has so little going on in his life that he wants to gate crash a women's group, knowing nobody wants him to be there.

Fucking hell that's outrageous. That he turned up and called the police when denied access to someone's house I mean, not that you wouldn't let him in.

Doesn’t it come to the same thing? If a man comes along to a women’s group, where he must realise he’s not wanted, and justifies his presence by identifying as female, that’s creepy.