Changing rooms, showers, schools and TransGirls

There was an interesting article in The Times on the weekend about TransGirls and using female changing rooms and showers. It suggested that they should be allowed to use them before or after girls have used them. I think that this is a great way of respecting the safety of TransGirls in secondary schools and reducing the risk posed to girls, not from TransGirls, but rather from teenage boys pretending to be Trans so that they can get to see naked girls. 

 

The issue of segregation in safe-spaces such as showers, toilets and changing rooms has been brought up by JK Rowling who has been termed TransPhobic for raising the dangers posed by men who are not Trans. 

 

When I have discussed this on Twitter, different people have said different things. One has called for unisex toilets for all, some have said that there should be no restrictions on men entering toilets for women if they decide to do so. Issues have been noted with unisex changing rooms regarding, sexual assault, harassment and voyeurism and many women are understandably concerned that this would be the case in other areas if there is no segregation. What is sad is how some consider these risks to be an acceptable price to pay, or just refuse to accept that the risk exists. Some people have said that there is no basis to stop men from using a female toilet. But this is not the case at my work where I am not allowed to do so. 

 

I define a woman as someone without a Y chromosome unless that individual identifies as something else. Likewise a man is someone with a Y chromosome, again unless they identify as something else. I do think that sex is real and while I do not consider a TransWoman to be a woman, or a TransMan to be a man, I do think that in many cases, they should be treated as such. I used to think that toilets should be based on genitalia (a view that I still feel should apply to prisons), but there are those with a penis who live as women, and so long as they are not known to be a threat, I do think that they should be allowed in many areas for women.

Sports however is a different matter. For many sports, being born male gives advantages. As seen with Isazc Henig, this is not always the case. But it does give an advantage in many other areas and women can end up being injured as a result. Not just in rugby, but with other sports as well.