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Writer's pictureanonymous woman

This is about the Women's Pond in Hampstead Heath, in London, England. There is a women's pond, a men's pond and a mixed pond. For a while now, the women's pond has been opened up to anyone claiming he identifies as a woman.


The women's pond is a peaceful haven for many women. There are open showers there. I have become aware that there are countries in Europe and Scandinavia which have illegalised flashing in women's changing areas. This refers to a recent phenomenon of male genitalia being exposed in women's changing areas. I also saw a tweet by a male apparently identifying as a woman who publicized that he had exposed himself in a women's changing area because he didn't want to feel restricted or inhibited anymore.

I am quite apprehensive and tense when I go to the women's pond now (although it's closed at the moment because of lockdown - opening up in a month) - worried about a possible loss of privacy to men in the changing room or showers. If someone exposed himself, I would want to kick up a stink! I would be furious! Yet in the current climate, I am totally aware that that would probably get me evicted, while the man would be entitled to stay!

I started to swim in the women's pond at a time when I was suffering from severe depression, and was aware that swimming in cold water was a good way of combatting depression - and it worked like magic for me. Although I'm not particularly depressed at the moment, I struggle greatly, and swimming in the pond makes a huge difference to me, as it does for so many women. It is - whenever I've been there so far - a peaceful testosterone-free environment - and there is a mixed pond available for men wishing to identify as women.


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