Hundreds of firms warn new guidance on single sex spaces is ‘unworkable’ and would cause ‘significant economic harm’

[IwantToRetire]

More than 650 organisations have urged Bridget Phillipson to ‘take immediate action to prevent these proposals from moving forward’

“We, the undersigned businesses and organisations, are writing to express our deep concern at proposals seeking to enforce blanket, mandatory exclusion of trans people from gendered spaces and services.

“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.

“Many of us have spent years building inclusive environments where all customers and staff feel safe and welcome. These proposals would tell us to act in ways that directly contradict those commitments; undermining trust, damaging reputations, and risking the loss of valued staff and customers.”

They also express concern that the proposals would put them at “constant risk of complaints and litigation from multiple directions”, as well as forcing “business staff into the unacceptable role of ‘gender police’”.

“Such practices are not only deeply invasive, but likely impossible to implement without breaching Article 8 of The Human Rights Act, which protects rights to privacy, and risking discriminating against valued trans customers and colleagues”

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/supreme-court-trans-single-sex-spaces-b2826924.html

So women's rights are less important than commercial compliance.

Most companies managed perfectly well for decades with separate facilities for men and facilities for women. Many still do that. So why is it a struggle to do it now?

Edited to say I have seen the list has been shared. Thanks so much as it is helpful to know which organisations don't respect women when choosing where I might spend my money.

Do you think it may, just may, perhaps be useful to have a single word for this group of people who may be susceptible to unwanted pregnancy? That some of its members may feel extraordinary distress that the word they used to have, for generations - that they used to win the vote, and subsequent legal protections uniquely necessary to them and their ability to participate fully in society - no longer belongs to them?

My God, genderism has done a number on women's rights when wording like this is deemed progressive and used in this very context by women themselves.

It really is a mark of western privilege to not see how frightening it is and how vulnerable it makes us.

are you proposing to provide any clues about the point of your posts at any point? or just here to wang on irrelevantly about Spain..?

And yet you have said that plenty of places have seemed to manage it. I'll be in Barcelona again in October....i'll be sure to check out how things have moved on since my last visit.

Not as such in the article. It just says "...and hundreds of small cafes and pubs".

The only two noteworthy names appear to be Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream and Lush. Both of these companies are rather outspoken on various topics, not just this one.

The only quote was from "KIN Sustainable Homes".

Alex Whitcroft, the director of housing developer KIN, told The Independent: “It’s incredibly frustrating for a small construction sector business like us which uses shared office space and has staff visiting sites with gendered facilities."

“We don’t want to enforce trans exclusion on staff or clients and communities we work with. The proposals are completely unworkable, especially for [small businesses] like us and leave us carrying significant admin cost and risk.”
“We don’t have any desire to implement this and hope the government speaks up and defends small businesses on this”, they added.
.

Interestingly, this Alex Whitcroft, director, updated their details on the Companies House register earlier this year. He had previously been "Mr Alexander Stuart Whitcroft" but is now "Mx Alex River Whitcroft"

Hmmm, I wonder if this is in any way connected?

This appears to be KIN Ltd (formerly KIN Architects Ltd), of whom Alexander/Alex is a director. There are four employees including directors, although the year before there were only two employees so it does look like they are expanding (from two people to four).
.

[EDIT]

"a small ... business like us which uses shared office space"

So, they're using shared office space and they seem to be complaining that the office space provider might be wanting to actually follow the law!

All the bogs in benidorm i went to were either male, female or individual rooms with washing facilities in them

airport loos were the same 🤷🏻

@vegetarianlouise

Spent a lot of time in Spain over the summer. All the toilets were divided by sex so not sure what you are on about.

Maybe we can take that as some better known firms are hedging their bets.

And also, and in a sense I have amplified it, how easily MSM will report some not very representative survey as being worth writing about.

Although MSM have shown their willingness to take notice of pro trans output, but hardly ever, if every, report of surveys regarding women's sex based rights.

Surprised that what is quite a recent survey about attitudes towards single sex provision of toilets in the UK didn't get more of a write up.

eg survey shows public is in line with Supreme Court ruling!

Wonder why that would be ....

lol your mask is so thin

do you want to add in that we're "old" and pearl clutchers" and now to save time?

any comment on the male prisoner claiming to be a woman in Spain who got an inmate pregnant? Or do those boring unfree women not count in comparison to how fun & cool you are with it all?

Well I was never going to buy any of Lucy and Yak's fucking ugly dungarees, but I won't be buying them even harder now

For the 3rd time the list is in the link I have now posted twice.

I was just making a point that unisex bathrooms are starting to be the law in many European countries, that I come from one where this is happening, that as a woman i feel perfectly comfortable and i haven't heard of any backlash. Feel free to have a different opinion.

Guess but have you checked?

The abortion legislation normally has a clause to prevent the sperm contributor ( or persons who think they may be the daddy) otherwise known as a man from causing an abortion.

Or has Spain removed women from the law and replaced it with uterus haver?

Absolute rubbish ‘Louise’ or more likely Louis.
I travel extensively in Spain and rarely have I seen ‘one big bathroom’
Single sex toilets are still everywhere though admittedly the pictures on the doors can sometimes be tricky to decipher.
I suggest you do a bit of travelling in your own country!

jesus

I will thanks

I go to spain most summers. Never seen this 'one big bathroom' you're wanging on about Louise. Smells a lot like bollocks to me

Surveys actually show it's a majority of British women. Can't remember where, but any number of other posters would be happy to link, I imagine, if you wanted.

And the snarky parenthetical closing line? It does suggest a certain frustration with us on your part, so why not debate us, addressing the points we make in support of why it's a huge f-cking deal, with a view to bringing us round to your way of thinking, that it isn't? (eg. massively increased risk of sexual assault and voyeurism - WHY is this not "a pretty big f-cking deal"?)

It’s not the case where I’m temporarily living in Spain. Apart from maybe gay bars (I was in one the other day) they have two single room toilets in most places, one for Damas and one for Cabelleros. Maybe not everywhere is as cutting edge as where you and your friends hang out?

This. Complete nonsense.

Can we stop the discussion about Spain.

Again by googling or which ever you prefer, there is no law in Spain about this.

It has become more of a norm to save space(?) and being cheaper.

Or maybe start a thread about toilets in other countries.

Why do so many threads get hijacked?

------------
How toilets are generally provided in Spain:

Single-sex facilities are the norm:
The majority of public toilets are separated by gender, though the signage might use the British abbreviation "WC".

Unisex options for small spaces:
In smaller venues like restaurants or bars, it's common to find a single, unisex bathroom with individual stalls and a shared sink area when there isn't enough space for separate facilities.

Disabled toilets are often unisex:
Many public toilets designed for people with disabilities are unisex.

Regional variations:
While Spain as a whole is considered progressive, specific regulations can vary by region.

this list is gold. that's my evening sorted

163. Borderline Personality Disorder Collective
164. Dolla Dolla Bill Ya'll (Tooth Gems and Grillz UK)

yikes

@helleofabore has done some excellent number crunching on this.

we do need a good laugh emoji reaction.

Thanks for delving deep!

Utter nonsense. I live in France and there are no 'unisex' bathrooms here. The odd one in holiday places but for the rest of us normies, all single sex only.

I've worked in an Elizabethan building and a Victorian building where there was one toilet so both sexes had to use it. Listed buildings with no ability to change it. Would that be a case where the rules wouldn't apply. I loved working in the Victorian building and not sure what else they can do.

"So far no complaints from the public."

That's a bold claim! How would you know? Are you privy to this information everywhere anyone might have complained?
---------

I seem to remember companies complaining when the laws changed about having to have accessible toilets but they eventually had to just comply AFAIK.