gender-neutral toilets in student union

In my local student union the doors were kicked off all but two of the previously ladies’ toilet cubicles and of the two with doors one had no lock but a seat and the other no seat but a lock. This only happened after converting to gender-neutral toilets with cubicles and there were always males in there, often gay males but with a severe dislike of women. I now have to use the disabled toilet if I want privacy but lots of males are using it too because they don’t like young women charging into the men’s toilet giggling either.

#unitedkingdom #scotland #genderneutraltoilets #studentunion

ladies’ toilet at campsite

Staying at a small campsite with several other families with lots of children. Friendly, small place where we feel comfortable letting our children run around and go to the bathrooms (which are in sight) on their own. My daughter - 14 years old, oldest child in group - went to the ladies and when she came back told me there was a large trans woman in the ladies using the sink who would not let her pass when she asked and glared and smirked at her. The toilets were in a small vintage caravan, and there was a clear sign outside saying that (because of COVID, social distancing) only one person should be allowed in at a time and not to use the sink/mirror in the caravan but use the ones outside so others could use the toilet. My daughter went into the toilet stall (flimsy doors not to ceiling or floor), heard another person coming in to use the sink, and when she came out saw a large obviously male person. They were blocking her exit, much too close for COVID safety and would not move out of her way but continued to do hair and makeup at the sink for several minutes while my daughter waited very uncomfortable and frankly scared.

This is just one of many stories I have. Also involving schools, changing rooms, being forced to put my pronouns in work emails, etc.

#unitedkingdom #england #ladiestoilet #bathrooms #toilets #campsite

conflict in bathrooms

In a bathroom in the United States, another woman confronted and intimidated me, accusing me of being a transgender based on my appearance.

[*Moderator’s note: I liked this submission because it reveals a harm that gets less airtime in the discussion about impacts on women, namely the impacts on women with a masculine appearance who then may be subject to policing by other women. Some of our opponents would say this shows we should stop policing. I would say it shows men should stop using our spaces, so we can be confident that a person with an apparently masculine appearance using the spaces is in fact a woman].