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Trans women and single-sex spaces

(955 Posts)
RosieandherMaw Mon 14-Apr-25 07:58:00

Is this common sense at last?
From ‘The Times’ this morning
Organisations will be told that they can no longer call a space single-sex if they admit transgender people who do not have a gender recognition certificate.
Updated guidance from the equality watchdog will say that services described as being single-sex will not be able to make the claim if they also allow transgender women to use them on the basis of self-identification
Last week the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) sent ministers its updated code of practice, which guides organisations on how to apply the Equality Act. It is expected to be presented to parliament before the summer. The Times understands the recommendations include an overhaul of how single-sex spaces are defined.
A source said of the guidelines: “The upshot [of the guidance] means it's not lawful to have a self-ID service. The fact is that if you let a man in, it's no longer a single-sex service, and that includes trans people without GRCs [gender recognition certificates] .”
The change would prevent those who rely on self-ID from being able to access women-only care homes or domestic abuse refuges without an exceptional reason

My question is just why has this taken complicated legislation - and so long?

Smileless2012 Mon 14-Apr-25 09:23:45

I agree eazybee. Although philosophical beliefs are stronger than views or opinions they're not the same as facts, and the fact is that a man cannot become a woman.

Grandmabatty Mon 14-Apr-25 09:28:37

Well I must have hit a nerve when politics need is reduced to insults! 😂 There are plenty of examples of males intruding in to single sex spaces if you care to look? NHS has at least two cases ongoing, toilets in theatres, womens changing areas in shops, sports events galore. Most recently a woman's Pool competition where the two finalists were men. Take your pixk

PoliticsNerd Mon 14-Apr-25 09:29:43

Smileless2012

Perhaps you should take more notice of the news PoliticsNerd where there's been plenty of examples.

Perhaps you can quote proven cases Smileless?

Lathyrus3 Mon 14-Apr-25 09:33:43

And a myriad number of instances that are not reported or not recorded if they are reported.

I myself have experienced more than one in both toilets and changing rooms of males seeking stimulation in female spaces.

Self identification gave them Carte Blanche and female vulnerability counted as nothing.

flappergirl Mon 14-Apr-25 09:40:33

PoliticsNerd

Grandmabatty

I feel quite sad for trans women who gave quietly lived alongside the rest of us for decades. However, this recent influx of aggressive males pretending to be women to hijack our spaces in order to feed their fetish has to be dealt with firmly. Every organisation has bent over backwards to accommodate them and god only knows why. It is about time this was sorted

Where can I find confirmation about this influx of aggressive males pretending to be women to hijack our spaces in order to feed their fetish? I, and I would guess, many others, think this is all in the heads of middle-age and elderly women on internet forums, etc.

That doesn't mean calling changing spaces unisex or whatever is a bad thing - perhaps it will finally stop the hysteria.

PoliticsNerd, would you also describe Islamic women (whose right to single sex spaces is protected) as "hysterical"?

sf101 Mon 14-Apr-25 09:41:13

Despite all the nonsense we have been subjected to over the last few years biological facts remain just that - facts. You can mess with your body as much as you like but you cannot change your sex, neither can a piece of paper.

Sparklefizz Mon 14-Apr-25 10:03:24

Male bone structure from the skull to the legs is different to female, so you can add bits onto the body, chop bits off the body, but the skeleton can still be identified as male or female.

Cabbie21 Mon 14-Apr-25 10:15:46

Could anyone please enlighten me?
Where is a ( properly registered) trans person supposed to go to change or use the toilet if there are no unisex facilities?

Genuine question. I have an adult relative who has transitioned female to male, and two friends who have transitioned male to female.

Smileless2012 Mon 14-Apr-25 10:22:00

There are too many to choose from PoliticsNerd and a few examples have already been given. Try Google.

Wyllow3 Mon 14-Apr-25 10:26:55

sf101

Despite all the nonsense we have been subjected to over the last few years biological facts remain just that - facts. You can mess with your body as much as you like but you cannot change your sex, neither can a piece of paper.

Thats why it's called a Gender Recognition Certificate not a sex recognition certificate. You can't change sex.

Lathyrus3 Mon 14-Apr-25 10:27:27

I don’t know.

Where is the female who does not want to undress in front of a male supposed to go.

So far the answer seems to have been put up with it or don’t use the facilities.

Uniting there’s a choice of unisex as well as separate one group or another has to be disadvantaged.

Myself I support females. Because I am one,
because there are many more females than transwomen so more are disadvantaged
because giving preference to males identifying females has put me at risk of harm.

Lathyrus3 Mon 14-Apr-25 10:28:09

Uniting - until

Madgran77 Mon 14-Apr-25 10:33:31

PoliticsNerd
Perhaps you can quote proven cases Smileless?

Perhaps you don't read the news ....? Admittedly I think you will now point out the proven in your sentence and link it to the intentions of the action but frankly within the context of womens safety/comfort/rights to privacy those are semantics. Intentions "proven" or not, Rose went round the Nurses changing room wearing boxer shorts fully in tact and admitting to still having sex with their partner in order to try for a baby!!! Understandably the Nurses going to court were not comfortable with that!

Smileless2012 Mon 14-Apr-25 10:34:18

I don't know either Cabbie and it's a shame that the reckless and inconsiderate behaviour of a few has made life difficult for those who wouldn't dream of making women feel uncomfortable in women only spaces.

AGAA4 Mon 14-Apr-25 10:48:14

Transwomen have been around for a very long time and have managed to not upset women by their behaviour.
It's only recently that some aggressive transwomen have caused problems for women.
They have made life more difficult for those transwomen who behave like women and would not harm others.
Aggressive transwomen behave like arrogant men and want to assert what they perceive as their rights no matter how much discomfort they caused women.

PoliticsNerd Mon 14-Apr-25 10:56:55

Madgran77

PoliticsNerd
Perhaps you can quote proven cases Smileless?

Perhaps you don't read the news ....? Admittedly I think you will now point out the proven in your sentence and link it to the intentions of the action but frankly within the context of womens safety/comfort/rights to privacy those are semantics. Intentions "proven" or not, Rose went round the Nurses changing room wearing boxer shorts fully in tact and admitting to still having sex with their partner in order to try for a baby!!! Understandably the Nurses going to court were not comfortable with that!

Of course the word "proven" was deliberate; for something to be a fact you need to be able to prove it.

I can't understand what you are saying in the rest of your post.

Wyllow3 Mon 14-Apr-25 10:59:51

I support the ruling for GRC being the guideline

Because as in the O/P "which guides organisations on how to apply the Equality Act."

Organisations have been flailing around for a long time under self ID.

This is the process people have to go through

www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=what+is+necessary+to+get+a+Gender+Recognition+certificate&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

Smileless2012 Mon 14-Apr-25 11:08:00

The issue for me Wyllow is that a GRC can be issued to a fully intact male who has no intentions of going through with a full transition.

Intact males should not be given a access to women's spaces.

ViceVersa Mon 14-Apr-25 11:08:40

Here in Scotland, we currently have a very high profile case involving Nurse Sandie Peggie, Dr Beth Upton and NHS Fife. It has received widespread media coverage, but as for 'proven', it is still ongoing, but the eventual outcome will have a considerable impact on women and girls either way.

eazybee Mon 14-Apr-25 11:17:48

To obtain a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) in the UK, an individual must be at least 18 years old, have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria, and have lived in their acquired gender for at least two years. They must also intend to live in their acquired gender for the rest of their life. Evidence of living in the acquired gender for two years, such as name changes and gender markers on official documents, is required. Additionally, two medical reports, one from a medical practitioner on the approved list, are needed.

I would still not accept that such a person has the right to use single-sex spaces There are disabled loos available. The behaviour of Dr. 'Beth' Upton, who refused to leave the women's changing room when Sandra Peggie was dealing with a heavy menstrual flood, and his subsequent action in getting her suspended when she took issue with him, is evidence enough. What sort of person insists on intruding on someone in the middle of extremely personal hygiene, then initiates proceedings in the hope of getting her dismissed because she objects to his presence?

Galaxy Mon 14-Apr-25 11:19:19

There will be unisex spaces for those who asked, the ruling means they can't describe facilities as single sex if they allow the opposite sex to use them.

Galaxy Mon 14-Apr-25 11:23:02

They shouldn't be using disabled spaces either unless they are actually disabled. Those facilities were fought for by people with disabilities, they were hard won. There are unisex spaces available, men should not be accessing single sex spaces for women, or facilities meant for those with disabilities.

OldFrill Mon 14-Apr-25 11:25:01

The Supreme Court judgement ion the definition of a woman is due this week

Mollygo Mon 14-Apr-25 11:26:58

Female or other toilets might work, except those who lie that they are AHF would simply lie that they are female.

ViceVersa Mon 14-Apr-25 11:27:04

The answer to that, eazybee, is someone who clearly thinks his 'feelings' override anyone else's personal dignity or distress, never mind their basic human rights.
And to cap it all now, NHS Fife are currently attempting to have the remainder of the tribunal heard in private. Wonder why? Tribunal Tweets have been doing an amazing job live tweeting from the case so far, let's hope they are allowed to continue. This case is too important.