Thread by @WomensRightsNet

What are the rules when women who identify as men access male changing rooms?

TRUE STORY! 🧵

Summer 2023: a woman in a bikini walks through the men’s changing rooms at a local authority swimming pool run by Kirklees Active Leisure (KAL) @activeleisure

After her swim, the bikini-clad female went back to the male changing area to get dressed.

A man in the changing room tells us he was shocked, uncomfortable and worried.

But, when he reported it to the staff on reception, they told him they knew about her, had received complaints, but as she ‘identifies as a man’ she was entitled to use the men’s facilities.

Of course, we know that’s not the case …
1/ 6

On further investigation, by the man’s wife, it emerged that Kirklees Active Leisure’s swimming pool policy allows males and females to use the changing room that is 'relevant to the gender with which they identify'.

In other words, the changing rooms are mixed-sex.

She asked KAL if she would be safe on their premises if men could identify as women and access the female changing room.

She asked why there were no single-sex changing rooms?
2/6

Even after a lengthy series of emails and following @activeleisure’s complaints procedure the woman is still no closer to knowing whether she is safe in the swimming pool changing rooms.

KAL have plenty of answers, but none of them make any sense, and none of them comply with safeguarding procedure as we know it.

KAL says its policies are ‘fully in line with current guidance’ and they have ‘a robust approach to safeguarding’ through ‘associated processes… to protect children and vulnerable adults’.

In fact, KAL had NO policies in place, NO risk assessments and were effectively making up policy on the hoof.
3/ 6

Over the past 18 months, it has emerged that KAL:

· had no evidence of a policy document stating who can access the male or female changing rooms.

· had no evidence of a policy on safeguarding.

· missed the part where EHRC guidance on single sex facilities states that: “The Equality Act allows for the provision of separate or single sex services in certain circumstances under ‘exceptions’ relating to sex”.

· showed zero regard for customers who do not consent to mixed-sex changing areas.

· are apparently keeping their fingers crossed that a sexual offence doesn’t occur in their changing rooms.

4/6

In a Stage 3 complaint response, KAL finally addressed the concerns raised.

· KAL said it has received ‘expert legal advice’ and Inclusive Employers have given their ‘consideration’ to the mixed-sex changing room policy.

· Women’s concerns about safety, dignity and discomfort are ‘taken into account’, [but it’s clearly more important to prioritise identity].

· KAL dismissed the references to guidance supplied by Akua Reindorf KC, which examines a local council’s acting unlawfully by refusing to protect women’s single-sex services.

· KAL now say that the relevant facilities are accessed on ‘a case-by-case’ basis.

5/6

Internal complaints procedures are often time-consuming and Kafkaesque, but thanks to the hard work of one persistent woman, there are now receipts and some insight into the process that led to the woman in a bikini waltzing through the male changing area.

WRN recommends that @activeleisure look again at the very good points raised in this complaints process.

And a word of advice: dismissing the opinion of @akuareindorf is a big mistake.

Big.

Huge.

Our WRN Leisure Centre report revealed the lack of single-sex provision in UK swimming pools all over the nation.

Read it here:

womensrights.network/post/leisure-c…

then write to your local council and find out if you are at risk on their premises.

6/6