“Our facilities are places of privacy, dignity and respect. We ask you not to approach or question anyone about their use of facilities as this could constitute harassment”

[BlueOrangeRed]

In my work I sometimes visit universities and saw this on a poster today in the ladies toilets.

Is this the latest thing following the single sex spaces Supreme Court ruling? It’s the first time I’ve seen something like this.

I’m quite interested to know if it was put up following someone complaining they’ve been approached or questioned. Or whether it’s more of a preemptive attempt to ensure no one is ever questioned or approached.

And the facilities and building management team.

surely such a notice deserves to be treated as the opening statement in a debate?
Never go to a toilet in a university without a sharpie, OP

Challenging someone in the loos does not constitute harassment.
Repeatedly challenging someone who has the right to be in that particular loo constitutes harassment.

The toilets were in a HE professional services type building, rather than one used by students. So a lot of staff would be fully aware of the posters.

So if a woman finds a man masturbating in the loo, she should email EDI?

Okay, then.

Does she have to disclose a history of abuse to prove she is entitled to single sex spaces?

Misogynists.

I suspect they'll find no matter how passionately they feel about inflicting men on non consenting women and excluding the inconveniently diverse ones, that the law is there to contain the lunacy.

They can provide additional spaces all they like. They cannot choose to announce that women must submit to men, which is all that ridiculous verbiage actually means.

Just draw a d•ck on the sign.

Sign needs annotating to include the words “single sex” between “Our” and “facilities”. Just as a reminder in that direction too.

It's correct that no one should be challenging other facilities users while they are using the loo. That would constitute harassment.

It isn't and it wouldn't.

It is not harassment to request any male person to leave a single sex facility for women.

Before we even start on other behaviours which happen in toilets which are illegal and certainly would not allow the perpetrator to claim that they were being harassed. It would not, for example, be harassment to ask the girls playing the "how much wet toilet paper can we get to stick to the ceiling" game to stop.

I would take the notice down.

Its not Portsmouth is it?

I've been waiting for a response from their EDI team (asking about women's facilities and Sport following an statement that they didn't intend to follow the law) since about March....

Did you take a photo OP?

'Privacy, dignity and respect', but not if you're female, of course.

Despicable.

Or replace it with a looky-likey notice that says
“Our facilities are places of privacy, dignity and respect. We ask you to only use the facilities designated for your biological sex. Persistent use of the wrong facilities could constitute harassment”
😏

I did - so I could get the wording correct when I posted here. But it’s very much in the university’s colours and so could be identifiable to someone who knows the HE sector, or knows that particular university. So I’m not posting it here

But no - it’s not Portsmouth.

Yes, no doubt staff would be well aware. My point is that those in charge of the university would very likely not be aware that these signs have gone up, and they need to be made aware and to take responsibility for them. The University Secretary, for example, would want to be aware of anything that might get the institution into hot legal water.

So if you encountered a dodgy looking bloke in the ladies you’d just carry on and say nothing?

It's just a mixed sex toilet.

Whether it complies with the building regs and H&S at work regs is another matter.

If I accidentally wondered into the men's loos, I would rather that somebody said "sorry, did you see that this is the men's?" than let me carry on.

However, assuming that you are right (and I think this is contested), if there isn't a second part of the notice saying that people should use the correct toilet for their sex, then the implication of this notice is that anyone can use any toilet.

I definitely wouldn't feel safe to confront that person, or advise anyone else to do so, at the time. I would be calling security (if there is local provision) or the police after a very speedy retreat to a safe location.

I'd strongly recommend not confronting someone who may be intent on committing (sexual) assault. Leave immediately, call security/the police from a safe location and then use an alternative toilet; they are trained to deal with dangerous people.

And what of those of us who just didn't see the sign on the door? Isn't it kinder to tell us of the mistake as soon as possible?

Of course the sign is legally compliant. What is not legal is regular people taking it upon themselves to enforce a law. The law only allows police officers to do this. Confronting someone who is potentially dangerous to police whether or not they are in the right toilets is vigilantism. It is illegal to be a vigilante and take the law into your own hands. Make a note, snap a photo and file a complaint.

The only exception to this is if an actual attack is underway, then you can try and intervene physically if you want to.

Of course the sign is legally compliant

Questionable if the signage doesn't make it clear who should be using the facility.

I wasnt going to suggest posting it here, but anonymously emailing the Board asking if it was legal and had been signed off by the legal team