Toilet access ruling sparks safety debate

Support groups say gender non-conforming people face more confrontations in toilets and changing rooms after the ruling, while others call it scaremongering.

Aftermath of supreme court ruling fuels hostility in women toilets

In London and across the country, reports of harassment in women’s toilets have risen after the supreme court ruling on biological sex. In a scene at the Royal Festival Hall on the South Bank, Caz Coronel, a composer and producer, waited in the queue for the women’s facilities when a tall man in his late 60s shouted that the men’s toilets were nearby. He touched her shoulder and pressed the issue, continuing to challenge her about being in the wrong queue until she bluntly asked if he wanted to see her breasts. A woman Coronel believes was the man’s wife stepped in to pull him away. Coronel says the moment left her shaken and she wondered aloud whether the ruling had changed what people feel they can say in public.

Several other incidents have followed as the public debate about toilet access intensifies. The Equality and Human Rights Commission advised on how to implement the ruling, and critics argued it amounted to a blanket ban on trans people using toilets that match their lived gender. Advocacy groups say gender non-conforming women and other LGBT+ people have faced more challenges in spaces from pools to shops. Claire Prihartini, who had a bilateral mastectomy, described an experience in a pool changing room where a woman exclaimed that there was a man present and questioned her gender, then apologised before leaving. Others recall years of awkward glances and mild hostility even before the ruling, while some argue the concerns are real but not new. The article presents a spectrum of personal experiences alongside calls for greater understanding and practical protections.

The piece shows how a legal decision can travel from court to sidewalk in painful, everyday moments. It asks readers to consider how questions of belonging in private spaces touch safety, identity, and social norms. While some see these incidents as isolated, others say they reveal a broader climate where gender expression becomes a trigger for public scrutiny and harassment. The risk here is not merely discomfort but a chilling effect that can deter people from using public facilities with confidence.

Policy and practice will determine whether this moment becomes a bridge to clearer guidance or a source of ongoing conflict. Authorities face the task of balancing inclusion with safety, and venues must train staff to manage conflicts with care. The article points to potential remedies such as clearer signage, more flexible facility design, and protected reporting channels for hate incidents. Above all, it calls for empathy and practical steps that protect everyone’s dignity in shared spaces.

Highlights

A safer path forward depends on clear guidance and everyday courtesy.