#Australia

No Conflict, They SAid

In Australia and around the world, legislation is being introduced that replaces sex with gender identity. Advocates insist that there is no conflict of interest. But governments are not collecting data on the impacts of this legislative change. We're worried about the impacts on women of men using women-only spaces, including but not limited to: changing rooms, fitting rooms, bathrooms, shelters, rape and domestic violence refuges, gyms, spas, sports, schools, accommodations, hospital wards, shortlists, prizes, quotas, political groups, prisons, clubs, events, festivals, dating apps, and language. If we can't collect data, we can at least collect stories. Please tell us how your use of women-only spaces has been impacted. All stories will be published anonymously. If you know of other women who have been impacted, please encourage them to tell their stories too.

This site is run from Australia, New Zealand and the UK by members of the LGB Alliance and Speak Up for Women.

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All stories are published anonymously, but if you'd like to contact the moderator you're welcome to do so at:

noconflicttheysaid@gmail.com.

anonymous woman

Apr 24, 2021
2 min

victorian school building authority

I know of three Victorian schools all in metropolitan Melbourne which have felt mislead and or tricked by the Victorian School Building Authority's project management team into building "gender neutral" i.e. mixed-sex toilets. Each of these three schools - in two different school regions - have been told that they must install gender neutral toilets as part of the school upgrades (of varying sizes and budgets), and then told that when they get their certificate of occupancy

anonymous woman

Apr 24, 2021
2 min

requesting a woman lawyer in a community legal centre

For many years now a lawyer who identifies as a woman has been working in community legal services in northern regional Victoria. This person seems well regarded by local magistrates' court staff and magistrates, and is an affable, pleasant individual. In various meeting with the local court that I witnessed, this individual struggles to hide his sex as he is a chronic mansplainer. But every one smiles and calls him 'she' and by his chosen name. The thing that worries me m

anonymous woman

Apr 22, 2021
2 min

women's facebook groups

I can no longer trust that a women's Facebook group, or a women's interests group, is all women, or that the topic won't get derailed by mods insisting on 'inclusion' of trans-identified men in the group or constantly referencing their issues. I didn't previously think trans-identified women caused problems in these spaces, as they tend to be lower profile (funny that), but increasingly there is insistence that we as women have to remember that 'not everyone who has a period

anonymous woman

Apr 21, 2021
1 min

melbourne bar makes its toilets unisex while asking about women's safety

I recently went out to a bar in Brunswick, Melbourne. Since the last time I was there all the toilets have been made unisex. Whilst I was in line, a male person wearing female clothing joined the line and tried to make small talk with me. I have not experienced this behaviour from other women during previous visits to this venue. I also saw unattended drinks left on the sink. What really made me angry was a sign inside the formerly-female toilet doors saying there has been a

anonymous woman

Apr 17, 2021
1 min

non-man-identifying prizes for fiction writing

The UK's 'Women's prize for fiction' is open to anyone who 'identifies' as a woman, as is the Stella Prize in Australia. I'm not sure if this is for political or legal reasons. These prizes are meant to give women an opportunity to get income and publicity in a male-dominated culture and industry. Affirmative action literally cannot work for women if males can simply 'identify' themselves into such opportunities. Why are women being abused for objecting to this? (Currently

anonymous woman

Apr 16, 2021
2 min

intimate care in hospital

For background, I have cancer and therefore have extensive experience being a patient in public and private hospitals. In 2020 I was admitted to the Acute Medial Unit at Royal Melbourne Hospital due to an extreme allergic reaction to an anti-epileptic drug that caused me to break out in hives and a horrible rash all over my body. And I mean all over. I had two female doctors have to come in (one supervising the other because of the intimate nature of the examination) and ins

anonymous woman

Apr 15, 2021
1 min

denying the mantra in a counselling session

I told my psychologist that I don’t believe men can be women if they say so and I need single sex spaces. She knew I had experienced trauma related to male violence. She used the entire session to argue about this with me. I told her I do not believe 'identifying' and 'being' are the same thing. She kept saying ‘trans women are women’. I asked how, and she kept repeating that same thing. I should have walked out. Up until that exchange she had been great. When she left, no ps

anonymous woman

Apr 15, 2021
1 min

women's dance at chillout festival

It was advertised as a women’s dance. Being a Chillout (2019) event we thought it reasonable to expect mostly, if not all, lesbians at the dance. There were 4 individuals present who were clearly males trying to present themselves as women. It just spoilt the entire vibe. To top it off, of course they used the women’s toilet. We live in country Victoria and there is so little social stuff for lesbians. When we queried the presence of these trans-identified males (TIMs) at a

anonymous woman

Apr 14, 2021
1 min

women's golf competition

There is a transgender person who is a male during the week at work but a 'female' in the weekend, and therefore wants to play in the women’s competition and use the women's dressing rooms. It's hardly fair but the private golf club doesn't want to make a fuss about it. #australia #golf #womenssports #genderfluid #mixedsex

anonymous woman

Apr 14, 2021
1 min

mixed-sex hospital wards

I have been admitted into public hospital and had to share a room with a male each time. It was extremely uncomfortable, particularly when the doctors were discussing personal physical issues easily overheard by the other patient. Going to the bathroom while managing a drip machine and keeping the hospital garment closed in the back was difficult. Going into a heavy drug induced sleep in a room with an unknown ambulatory male is very stressful. #australia #hospital #mixedsex

anonymous woman

Apr 12, 2021
1 min

male brings claim against order of nuns running a domestic violence shelter

The current state of affairs has been in the making for some decades. About 20 years ago I acted pro bono for an Order of nuns who ran, among other charitable programs, a refuge for women and children who had been forced to leave their homes due to domestic violence. A claim was brought against the Order by a trans person, of quite notable size and stature, because they had been refused a place in the refuge. The accomodation provided for the women and children at that time c

anonymous woman

Apr 12, 2021
2 min

group therapy for women who have experienced male violence

I run group therapy for women who have experienced gendered violence such as domestic violence, rape and sexual abuse, where the perpetrators are more often than not male (and 100% male in the clients I have worked with). I am very concerned about the mental health and triggering of PTSD symptoms in these women by allowing trans women who have not fully transitioned or are evidently not female in appearance into the group, because of the triggering effect this may have on

anonymous woman

Apr 12, 2021
1 min

pronouns in the email signature

I have been seeing a somatic therapist regularly for about 5 years and noticed that she has recently included the "she/her" pronouns in her email signature. I have been seeing this therapist for reasons that involve my biology as a female and my lived experience of this, and now feel uncomfortable to speak with her about my experiences as a woman. #australia #counselling #somatictherapy #pronouns #signalling #trust #body

anonymous woman

Apr 12, 2021
1 min

workplace equality

Although not space related, I wanted to share another example of how trans rights have displaces women's rights. In my workplace, trans employees are able to access up to 10 weeks of additional medical leave for physical and mental health appointments relating to their transition. Meanwhile, women with fertility issues, endometriosis, breast cancer and those caring for disabled or chronically ill children receive no additional leave, and you'll find them using all their hol

anonymous woman

Apr 11, 2021
1 min

making video calls from the women's changing rooms

I have been impacted by the behaviour of a trans-identified male in the changeroom at my local gym. This person has stood in front of the mirror and used their mobile phone to video-call another male whilst in the changeroom. As a result of the trans-identified male using the front-facing camera and standing in front of me whilst I was putting a bra on, the male they were talking to on the video call would have seen my bent over, half-naked body and chest in the background.

anonymous woman

Apr 9, 2021
1 min

escaping sexual assault

When I was nine years old a group of boys chased me and held me down and put their hands down my undies and up my skirt. I don't remember how I got away but I did, and the chase was on again - I remember getting a bloody knee while tripping but I just got back up and kept running to the girls toilet. The reason why those boys (monsters) stopped chasing me was because it was the girls toilets. Can you imagine what would have happened to me if they allowed boys claim to iden

anonymous woman

Apr 9, 2021
1 min

self-ID and pub bathrooms

Recently I was out to dinner at a pub with my male partner. There was a quite obviously male person there in a dress and high heels, making them well over 6 feet tall. In itself this wasn't an issue; the issue was that the women's bathroom was a distance away and down a corridor. I was nervous to use it in case this person came in. Like many women I am a survivor of childhood abuse, and the idea of a large man potentially being in my personal space was intimidating to the p

anonymous woman

Apr 9, 2021
1 min

online surveys

I'm not sure if this information will be of value to others, but it has really impacted me. I went to fill out a survey about England Rugby's transgender policy and found there was no category for my sex, only 'cis woman'. As such I had to write "woman" in the "other" category. I literally had to "other" myself to be included. I was bra-less, not wearing make-up, and in blue shorts and a black T-shirt when I was completing the survey - I'm not "cis" and I find the term

anonymous woman

Apr 7, 2021
1 min

women's cricket team

I play women's cricket at a high level. One of the opposition players is a 6 ft 2 male who opens the bowling and bats in the upper order, with enormous power. This is both unfair, and dangerous. Cricket Australia have a ridiculous policy regarding this, that so long as someone "identifies" as a woman, they can not only play, but have FULL access to facilities i.e. showers and changerooms. Some of the girls in our team are very young and impressionable. How is it reasonab

anonymous woman

Apr 7, 2021
1 min

men's behaviour in women's bathrooms

I have, on a few occasions, gone to use a public toilet and had to share the space with someone who was obviously a man. On both occasions I not only felt uncomfortable but also highly scrutinised by both males. As though my conduct in the toilet should be under a watchful and suspicious eye. Nothing was said but both times I felt not only uncomfortable but also pushed out of my own space. The looks I got were not friendly or apologetic, not even embarrassed, they were