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/

Fucking hell Witch Fever, you absolute plums.

"Now, Witch Fever have shared a new message expressing concern over the statement, questioning if the festival will continue to follow the “ambiguous and transphobic” EHRC guidelines or not.
“If the single sex toilets still follow the EHRC guidelines this is not good enough,” they said.
“The guidelines define biological sex by a person’s chromosomal makeup. We ask you t6 confirm how you plan to enforce these guidelines. Will chromosome tests be conducted outside the toilet facilities? On what grounds will a test be administered? Will a judgment simply be made on how masculine/feminine a person looks? Who will decide this? Will trans men be allowed in the ladies facilities following this guidance?
“This is a dangerous rhetoric to take and not only harmful to all GNC people but all women, regardless of their gender assigned at birth.
“How do you plan to keep queer people safe at your festival while implementing transphobic guidelines? Are you at all aware of the unsafe position you put a trans woman in by not letting her rightfully use women’s facilities?"

"Zand also criticised the statement on their Instagram story. “This still doesn’t address the issue brought to attention in the first place.. we already know most of the toilets are gender neutral as the portaloos tend to be at any festival but to say single sex toilets will be available, without clarifying if trans people are welcome to use whichever aligns with their identity the most feels redundant and vague on purpose."

www.nme.com/news/music/witch-fever-urge-download-festival-to-rethink-statement-implementing-ambiguous-and-transphobic-ehrc-guidelines-3865526

I thought at download you just piss where you stand.

For someone whose name is a play on “no offence”, Noahfinnce seems to be quite keen to take offence at compliance with the law.

Ah. More performative allyship. Why couldn't these concerned musicians just check there will be gender neutral facilities as well as single sex ones, and then use the gender neutral ones to show their support that way. They could even post on social media about it. But no. Far easier to post some nonsense about how outrageous it is to comply with the law. I bet none of them have read the judgment or the guidance.

The EHRC guidelines really don't require them to do anything different.

" ... where possible, mixed-sex toilet, washing or changing facilities in addition to sufficient single-sex facilities should be provided ... "

Apologies. I took a shower at Glastonbury. Very happy to do so. It was, AFAIK, women only, over 20 years ago...

Absolutely.

And even worse, the DID check that there'd be gender neutral facilities, and STILL whinged:

"Zand also criticised the statement on their Instagram story. “This still doesn’t address the issue brought to attention in the first place.. we already know most of the toilets are gender neutral as the portaloos tend to be at any festival but to say single sex toilets will be available, without clarifying if trans people are welcome to use whichever aligns with their identity the most feels redundant and vague on purpose."
www.nme.com/news/music/witch-fever-urge-download-festival-to-rethink-statement-implementing-ambiguous-and-transphobic-ehrc-guidelines-3865526

!!!!!

I mean, FFS!!!

@StellaAndCrow they are selfish idiots. It gives me the rage.

Unless it’s backstage they have portaloos. And even backstage it’s just ONE very fancy toilet trailer for mixed use with 3 loos

and separate accessible one which is also mixed use

The festival organisers aren’t drawing attention to it.

They were asked a question, gave a reasonable reply by email, and then the person who asked posted it on social media in an attempt to whip up outrage.

Who’d have thought that ‘we’re going to follow the law’ could whip up outrage 🙄

Did Joe Strummer die in vain?

Apparently Lush have pulled out as sponsors.... https://bsky.app/profile/strivecampaign.bsky.social/post/3lqcou7jgtk2h

I can’t imagine lush customers and download festival attendees having much overlap, unless there have been some massive changes

This

The thought of festival portaloos has put me off festivals for life. I remember trying to negotiate me and a small child, both in muddy wellies, in a portaloo. There were varying shades of brown everywhere that I was getting over my raincoat, it stank because the flush had stopped working properly, it was tipping it down, and I was trying to get my child to hover. I was kicking the door open repeatedly to get air!
I actually washed both our hands in puddles rather than stay in it to try and get the sink to work.
We packed up and left early.
Grim.

The same Lush who put TRA leaflets in kids party bags? Not a surprise.

Another transtantrum 🙄

Many festivals have female ( squat) and male urinals in addition to the loos