Download Festival challenged after saying it will adhere to EHRC interim guidelines

[IwantToRetire]

Have no idea about the Festival or the "stars" taking part but thought I would post to add to the list of those challenging the EHRC guidelines.

The festival faced controversy yesterday (May 27) when British artist NOAHFINNCE claimed that the Leicestershire festival was adhering to government guidance that would stop trans people from using the toilet facilities that corresponded with their own gender identity.

A screenshot shared by NOAHFINNCE seemingly showed the festival’s response to an email which stated that it was looking to “promote the safety and comfort of all festival attendees including transgender and non-binary customers”, but would also be “following the interim guidance issued by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)”. The aforementioned EHRC guidance states that “trans women (biological men) should not be permitted to use the women’s facilities and trans men (biological women) should not be permitted to use the men’s facilities.”

https://www.rollingstone.co.uk/music/news/download-festival-responds-after-questions-raised-over-trans-toilets-50547/

Witch Fever have encouraged Download Festival to clarify their statement published earlier over concerns that the festival is “implementing ambiguous and transphobic EHRC guidelines”.
https://www.nme.com/news/music/witch-fever-urge-download-festival-to-rethink-statement-implementing-ambiguous-and-transphobic-ehrc-guidelines-3865526

It's a festival. They have frikkin single participant portaloos.

How are they “ambiguous” guidelines? They’re perfectly clear, all men need to stay out of women’s spaces, regardless of claimed genderfeelz. Virtue signalling idiots. What they mean is they don’t want to follow them.

And yes, also what @RedToothBrush said.

Individual toilets with sealed doors and internal washbasins/ sanitisers so legally compliant. Why are you raising this non issue OP?

They are ambiguous for people who don't have two brain cells to rub together. Or for people who can't tell the difference between biological men and biological women.

These groups may have a substantial intersection.

Tbf when I've been backstage they often have trailer single sex toilets, but there are portaloos available. Just make sure they have some and backstage and stick a mixed gender sticker on the fucking door and everyone can quit whining.

Job done.

When I was there years ago, I’m sure they had shower blocks. I didn’t use them, but I think they were like a marquee, so the separation inside must have been less solid than a portaloo. No idea if they have anything similar now, but if they do I would want it to be single sex

Who said I am "raising the issue".

Didn't you notice that I was quoting a newspaper story?

So if you think it is a non issue why not contact the paper and ask them (and about a dozen others) why they are publishing stories that are "non-issues".

sigh

I think the use of the word ambiguous is a sign of how sucessful the campaign of challenging the interim guidelines have been, plus of course the need of certain groups of people to publicly signal their "be kind" opinions.

I suspect this is less to do with the toilets in the fields but the camping areas which will have toilet/shower blocks divided per sex (hopefully)

NoahFinnce is a transman so this why this was probably bought up.

Still agree that the guidance is really clear. And its a festival with portaloos

Honestly, a festival is just about the last place you should complain about this. It's activists being arses for the sake of it.

I don't know anyone who ever takes a bloody shower at a festival unless it's Glastonbury (and that's unique in its own right).

The next spice girls. Watch them fly…

Also unclear if they are following the interim guidelines what the fuss is, as they say:

• where possible, mixed-sex toilet, washing or changing facilities in addition to sufficient single-sex facilities should be provided
• where toilet, washing or changing facilities are in lockable rooms (not cubicles) which are intended for the use of one person at a time, they can be used by either women or men

Most of this is about trying to deny that the Court ruling was that sex means biological, and that (the absolute cheek of it!) that provision of single sex facilities means sex not one or other or any added on gender identities.

When we went they were in toilet block trailers that had been towed in. You went up some steps & there were several cubicles & a row of wash basins. They were labeled male/female

I never went in the showers but think they were the same.

It definitely wasn't chemical porta loos. More like mobile public loos.

I haven’t been to download but the festivals I have been to it’s usually portaloos, some by the camping areas with showers segregated by male/female and in the main area it’s a free for all, I would think with the number of people around they’re probably the safest loos anywhere, minging but you’re never likely to be there without an audience.

Festival portaloos are the absolute lowest of the low in terms of health and safety. There’s so many horror stories of being trapped and then carted away!

Some appear to be made up too though in hindsight.

So, there will be plenty of mixed-sex facilities, but also some single-sex facilities? So the problem is not so much that trans/non-binary/allies wont have facilities, but rather that some naughty women might be enabled to get away from those spaces?

And they think it’s ok to say that (effectively) out loud 😵‍💫

Just how hard is it to stick a flipping portaloos in?!

The Download Festival are surely being a bit odd to be drawing attention about this given that it's perfectly normal at Festivals for all loos to be gender-neutral single-occupier portaloos. Perhaps some urinals which women with the appropriate sheewee gadgets are also allowed to use. The EHRC guidelines really don't require them to do anything different.

A festival says "we welcome trans people to our festival, we'll also stick to the law on single sex spaces"

Oh my GOD somebody STOP THEM. 🤣

A lot of angry feet being stamped. Let them get one with it.

Noah spent much of their early life creating YT videos about being transgender. Hardly an example of someone outing themselves.