Women, toilets and disability

What does this intersection tell us about the general quality of argument in favour of gender identity ideology?

In May I decided to conduct some robust and compelling research¹ into women’s public toilets, after increasing exasperation with regard to their ‘reframing’ by trans identifying men as some perfumed ante chamber, where women would giggle, brush each other’s hair, clasp each other’s bras and swap tampons and lipsticks. And, of course, take many selfies to show case their cute outfit.²

Many³ have been clamouring to know the results of this extensive⁴ and groundbreaking work, and I am delighted to say your wait is over.

But I may have misled you. My research was in reality to test another hypothesis - that those who object to women having single sex toilets are more likely to be vicious, humourless, stupid and dishonest in their responses - or at least those that inhabit social media.

My basic premise was this. Toilets for women are not boudoirs. We need them to urinate, defecate and deal with menstruation. Women like me with disabilities also need something that is accessible. Women are more likely to be single parents or have the primary care of infants, they need somewhere with sufficient space to navigate with a pram or change a nappy. We do not tend to take ‘selfies’ in public toilets and publish them on line to say how ‘cute’ this makes us feel. We want to do our business in a space that is as safe and hygienic as possible. We want a single sex female space.

This reframing of the narrative around toilets from trans identified men is of course very deliberate. The further away from the biological realities of shit, piss and blood that these men can move toilets, the more they can re-create toilets as some essential part of the ‘social role’ of women, a space of giggles and hair flipping, from which of course it is cruel and ‘unkind’ to attempt to exclude anyone who identifies as a woman.

My visits to public toilets of course confirmed what I already knew. Public toilets are generally grim places. No one was taking any selfies. I saw no pillow fights. Most were extremely cramped. To meet a man in such a space would have been disconcerting at best, frightening at worst.

I published my research on ‘X’ as I went, and the anticipated comments came rolling in. I was too stupid, old, ugly and unfuckable to understand what a selfie is. Unkind!

I mentioned two teenage girls chatting over the sinks - a rare example in my study of females speaking in public toilets. I was accused of hiding in the toilets, trying to spy on children which gave me a sexual thrill. Some accounts tagged in the Avon and Somerset Police to say I was ‘filming’ children in toilets. I didn’t film anyone, or take anyone else’s pictures as I am not an idiot. My pictures were of a door, a wall, or me alone.

This is a very strange way to make an argument.

I can only conclude that rage and insults operate to fill that space where an argument should be, but isn’t. Research into unisex spaces in swimming pools in 2018 showed of 134 complaints over 2017-2018, 120 reported incidents took place in gender-neutral changing rooms and just 14 were in single-sex changing areas. Quite apart from the increased risk men pose to women, many are simply not keen on sharing such spaces with men.

The constant referencing of ‘safe spaces’ by Labour politicians when they mean ‘single sex’ probably comes from the campaigns of UN Women and ActionAid which reference ‘safe spaces’ for women given the staggeringly high incidents of abuse and harassment faced by women from men. That’s the bit they tend to gloss over when considering what makes a space ‘safe’ for women. The removal of men from it.

The other issue is the impact of disability on access to toilets. Many blithely suggest that the ‘problem’ of trans identifying men seeking ‘inclusion’ could be to divert them to the disabled toilets instead. But this is simply a very thoughtless lack of understanding of the needs of disabled people. We get precious few facilities. Those we do have, we need to access.

I will give you an example from my own experiences. My left leg was amputated when I was 12. I attach my artificial leg to my stump by way of a silicone sleeve and an ingenious pin, which I can release at the push of a button. It is comfortable and easy but has one significant drawback - when the humidity reaches a certain point, it quickly fills up with sweat. The silicone sleeve simply slides off and so does my leg.

I estimate that I have about 7 minutes of walking time when humidity is medium to high. I have an urgent need to find a toilet or any safe enclosed space. I need to take my trousers down, and my artificial leg off. I need to empty the silicone sleeve and dry it. If there is no toilet available, I have to find a broom cupboard (The Vatican) or a bush (below, here I am in Great Yarmouth, don’t ask). I hope that my exasperation with the performative ‘inclusion’ of flags and lanyards is a little more understandable now.

The Holy Grail of provision is of course an enclosed cubicle with a sink and a plentiful supply of paper towels. This is very rare. I am usually to be found in a cramped public toilet, desperately trying not to drop my trousers on the floor because I am not entirely confident about what they will land in. It is degrading, I feel vulnerable. I do not want to share that space with men. I do not want disabled facilities ‘repurposed’ for gender diverse men.

I am of course open to discussion about how we make toilets safe and accessible for all. I am happy to consider greater provision of safe unisex facilities, provided that single sex female spaces are also provided. But those who are ‘against’ single sex female provisions appear unable to express themselves without rage and dishonesty, and with a good dollop of contempt for the disabled on top.

I didn’t need to conduct any research to confirm this. It is sadly, all about us. Hopefully the one thing that unites us all is agreement that the current law governing provision of single sex spaces is a mess. Whether the new Government will act to sort this out, remains at this time an unknown. But I hope it will accept there is a discussion that needs to be had, and a proper balance between the needs of women and the validation of men.

1. I visited some toilets on my way to work and took some photos

2. Erections

3. Two people

4. Over two days