Virgin Active update their T&C to explicitly state members must use changing spaces that reflect biological sex. Wording is very clear. "By Law" (Title edited by MNHQ at request of OP)

[SingleSexSpacesInSchools]

https://www.virginactive.co.uk/the-legal-stuff/club-rules

"By law, our members and visitors who use a changing room marked as ‘male’ or ‘female’ must select the one that matches their biological sex.
Our unisex and single-occupancy facilities can be used by everyone, and we are updating our signage to ensure these spaces are clearly marked and easy to find."

I assume there will be a lot of these changes happening in the very near future, and the guidance is about to arrive if we are lucky. Do not think Virgin would put their head above the parapet on their own.

Thanks, Arabella- I just use Doc T as an Inspirational Text😁

Thank you @EyesOpening and @LeftieRightsHoarder for your suggestions - I will follow both :-)
Will contact Sex Matters for advice, and if/when there is any update I will start new thread!
Thx again!

With this response,

• In the interim period, we recommend that facility operators manage situations on a case-by-case basis, acting with sensitivity and understanding to continue to ensure all customers are treated with dignity and respect, and are supported while policies are under review. The EHRC states that employers and other duty-bearers must follow the law and should take appropriate specialist legal advice where necessary. Please refer to the interim update provided by the EHRC on Friday 25 April for further information until full guidance is provided

what's remarkable is that Virgin is actually paying UKActive for a service in which they are

1. wrong (yet again) in the advice they give: "case-by-case", and
2. passing along the free advice the EHRC is providing which is to pay someone with legal expertise who will (unlike UKActive) give you actual legitimate information on policy.

Why exactly does Virgin retain a relationship with UKActive, an organization that's caused great harm to their brand, put them in legal jeopardy and is exerting a pernicious influence on the rest of the industry. Why aren't organizations like UKActive - who exist to help businesses like Virgin, for a membership fee(!), but end up harming them instead - held to account to face consequences?

GLP picked their story up on this again today, dunno what changed in last 4 weeks though - https://goodlawproject.org/virgin-active-caves-in-to-transphobic-threats/

Gosh what a dishonest and incoherent rant.

So asking for the law to be enforced is transphobic 🤔

They were correct in one sentence - the law hasn’t changed. But the law has never ever said that people can use the spaces ‘of their choice’ - what absolute numpties.

Perhaps what-his-name who owns Virgin could have a word with the
More than 650 organisations have urged Bridget Phillipson to ‘take immediate action to prevent these proposals from moving forward’
because they claim
“The proposals made in the EHRC’s draft Code of Practice under the Equality Act would have serious and far-reaching consequences for UK businesses, our employees, and our customers.
Hundreds of firms warn new guidance on single sex spaces is ‘unworkable’ and would cause ‘significant economic harm’ | Mumsnet

He could tell them to calm, down, dears, Virgin did it and the sky didn't fall in...so to speak.

If I remember correctly, with the exception of student unions, the majority of those businesses are one man bands / small businesses with few if any employees and likely a toilet in their own home where they work from 😂

Not sure they represent much more than 650 mates of mates.

And the known battshittery that is Lush.

https://x.com/GoodLawProject/status/1970878903171604814?t=Lwf53Oghrsq2NhQYc4SWwQ&s=19

Couldn't Virgin sue them for this stuff?

Isn't this vandalism / fly posting without permission and couldn't they be done for that too?

But but but Virgin Active are following The Law, and they haven't banned anyone ... they just expect them to follow the law and use the correct changing room.

How can GLP claim other wise?

Isn’t that statement about who can use which changing rooms clear, simple and unambiguous? Not complicated at all innit?

What utter nutters GLP are

They can't. They are defaming Virgin.

Which law do GLP think they should be following?! They are utterly bat shit aren’t they.

OMG. Total cray-cray.

Honestly just glancing at it, like most busy Londoners, I'd have thought it was an advert for Virgin Active. 😅

"Don't follow transphobes follow the law". Fab. How many people are gonna bother with the small print...

I thought it was going to be a bit of creative graffiti - like the feminists who went around adding bits to existing ads, like this famous one.
But breaking into an advertising panel and putting in their own is a different matter. Less creative too!

And this one. 😁

😂😂 I still miss the laugh emoji.

Gosh, GLP and the fox botherer are really itching to get sued. I hope Virgin don't take the bait.

Now that the law is crystal clear the cases they can pursue as claimants are limited. So they need some to defend. Those lawyers gotta get their fees somehow.