science centre bathrooms

Five years ago, I was taking my four-year old to the women’s bathroom at the children’s science centre. When I arrived, an older man was in the bathroom washing his hands and talking to two unaccompanied girls (it is a kids’ science museum after all). When I entered, he said “Oh, is this the women’s restroom? I must be confused” and left. I watched him recording children playing in the museum on his phone afterwards and notified the staff.

I question myself about what I would or could do if this man was wearing a wig and presenting as a woman? I would want to protect those unaccompanied girls. But would that make me a target of violence? Would the science centre staff listened to my concerns? Should I tell my teen daughter that she might see someone with a penis openly changing when she goes swimming; how should I even prepare her for this?

Women need single-sex spaces. There are predators that want to access the women and children that use them. It’s impossible for us to know if someone is there for genuine or sinister reasons. As long as people with penises tend to be the overwhelming number of rapists in the world, they shouldn’t have access to the rooms where the vast majority of rape victims go for safety and privacy.

It should be obvious how problematic this is, but somehow these concerns are dismissed and ignored. Women and girls matter.

#canada #bathrooms #toilets #sciencecentre #malepredators #children #safety #singlesexspaces #safeguarding

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 holiday leave to cover these appointments. Many also don't work full time because of such health concerns leading them to live in more financially challenged circumstances and, of course, earning less superannuation. My argument is that surely such leave should be open to anyone experiencing circumstances that jeopardise their physical or mental wellbeing, not just trans people.

Women have been fighting hard for equality for so long, and now it feels like there is a new challenger - although this time we can't call it out without being considered to be transphobic!

#australia #workplaceequality #sexequality #workplacebenefits #womenshealth #specialclass #AWEIleave

physical assault of transman by transwoman in denver domestic violence shelter

I was a resident at The Delores Project, a women's domestic violence shelter in Denver Colorado that allows transwomen to stay there. I stayed at Delores between 2015 and 2018.

While there, I was assaulted by a transwoman who also stayed there. Even though I was covered in bruises, the staff and volunteers at Delores insisted there was nothing they could do about it. They did not evict the transwoman who assaulted me or punish them in any way. In fact, they instructed me to cease discussing the assault, or else they would evict me to the streets.

Also during my stay there, there was another man in his early 20s who also claimed to be a transwoman despite dressing like any regular guy and not physically transitioning in any way. This young man slept in the same dorm area as the women residents, where the women undressed and changed clothes. Eventually this young man was evicted after being caught a second time masturbating in the dorm area (from his bed). I remember the women expressing they were uncomfortable with the transwomen being there, but they would whisper these concerns amongst themselves and almost never to staff. We all knew the staff/management would evict women before they would evict the transwomen no matter the situation.

Even though I was a transman, I knew I wasn't as protected as the transwomen were at Delores. And I don't know how to explain why I was valued less than a transwomen, other than to conclude it was because of my biological sex (which is female).

#unitedstates #deloresproject #domesticviolenceshelter #shelters #assault #singlesexspaces