The female toilets at the train station in Eastwood, New South Wales, Australia have been removed and replaced with two unisex toilets. I have photos and an email chain of correspondence with State Rail about this unwanted change.
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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 members of the LGB Defence, and supported by LGB Alliance.
Had an experience at a NYC lesbian bar where a male in a dress, wig, and heels kept grabbing at women trying to dance with them. He grabbed at me twice, and both times, I pulled away. All the women pulled away. Eventually, he threw his hands up (literally) and left, but I actually felt guilty for enforcing boundaries. That's how brainwashed I was.
At my former workplace it was decided, without consultation, that one toilet block would become 'all genders.' This particular block was female, so there would now be one fewer female toilet block in the building. A number of female staff were upset, but didn't dare speak up. I said it was sexist and discriminatory, but was met with incredulous stares from management. I also asked why one of the male blocks was not converted to 'all genders.' We were told we had to be inclusive, as we sometimes had non-binary and trans staff members.The building was largely, but not exclusively, used as a language centre, with most students and the overwhelming majority of staff being female. There were often queues for the women's toilets (even before the introduction of the 'all genders' block), and of course we have many extra needs/biological functions that men do not, so tend to take far longer to do what we need to... There were also no dedicated disabled/all access single lockable toilets, or dedicated spaces for women to breastfeed. I once saw a group of women who were a attending a conference there - they all had small babies and were changing them on the carpet in a small nook off a hallway, as there was nowhere else! This was still going on in early 2020, just before I left. A very unfriendly place for women.
organizations working to protect women-only spaces
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