[Ammi]

A trans woman student at Leeds University was verbally abused and pushed out of the Student Union’s female toilets by two girls.

According to reports, Alexis, a Microbiology student who was transitioning from male to female, was shouted at and shoved in the chest by two girls, during a night called Fruity.

She said: “I’m very angry at those girls. I know better than anyone that I don’t look like a girl yet. Misgendering me is something I expect, but grabbing my breasts and shoving me is completely unacceptable.


“It’s wrong for a natural-born girl to insult a trans girl, especially one who prefers to dress more masculine, simply because she likes to. We’re doing the best we can – you’re lucky to have been born that way, and we can dress however we please, just like you”, Alexis added.

Security was called to the incident, which took place on Saturday evening, reports the Leeds Student.

A Leeds University Students’ Union spokesperson told this paper: “As a Union we support the right of transgender students to use the toilets in which they feel most comfortable. A member of our security team explained the situation to the two females and they said that they understood.”

Alexis, a second year student, did not wish to take any further action but added: “The security staff were excellent, and I really appreciate what they did”.

The University’s LGBT society had two trans welfare officers, and commented on the incident, saying: “The welfare of our members is the number one priority of our society and we’ve been working closely with the Union to raise awareness of the added struggles that Trans* people face.”

In 2010, a forum for the Students’ Union passed a motion to introduce gender-neutral toilets.

The Union’s Equality and Diversity officer, Charlie Hopper, said “Since the idea to create a gender neutral toilet passed in 2010 the Union has made progress in ensuring support for Trans* students, including Trans* awareness training for staff.”

Last year, a transgender male student in Ontario, Canada, was allegedly been barred from using the men’s toilet at school



http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2013/02/08...ds-university/

[arista]

Yes Students can be Evil.

Some Learn Nothing Good

[Omah]

A photograph might have been helpful.

Alexis is described as a Microbiology student who is transitioning from male to female, one who doesn’t look like a girl yet and who prefers to dress more masculine.

So, did she look like a man in the ladies toilets .....

Were the two girls were strangers on campus .....

[Kizzy]

Bit of a non story, girls in a bar thought there was a man in the toilets.. the situation was explained, end of.

[Ammi]

..I can't find any images Omah, but I did find this other article....

Quick question: do you know where the gender neutral toilet in the union is?

It wouldn’t surprise me if you said you didn’t. It’s further along the corridor from the ground floor men’s toilets, by the way.

It doesn’t really help trans* students, or indeed any other students who may need use of such a facility, if they’re in LGBT coffee hour, or in Fruity, though. And there is a genuine need for these facilities. For a trans* student, even going to the toilet is a tricky chore. They must first assess whether the risk of assault, harassment, or even arrest is worth going to the toilet, or the risk of medical conditions from holding it in is worth it. Then, they need to assess which toilets they use – do they use the toilets which matches their gender identity or the gender they were assigned at birth? And after that, when and where should they use the toilet? Whereas most people who use the toilet have the privilege to not have to think about these things, it’s a source of severe distress for trans* people.

And it really doesn’t help when someone is verbally abused and pushed, within our Union, for simply going to the toilet, and several hours after the launch of LGBT history month at that. While the bouncers quickly and correctly dealt with the situation, it still creates an atmosphere whereby if you look even remotely trans*, you’re going to have to deal with this sort of harassment. It’s not on. And it makes life much, much, harder for these sorts of people. It’s why half of all trans people avoid using public restrooms.

I wish I could say that this is an isolated incident, but it’s not. Back in 2008, several trans* women were denied access to the toilets at London Pride that, legally, they have a right to use, simply because they are transgender. So what hope do trans* people have if this is happening at a Pride event? Not much: in 2011, a transgender woman was attacked in a McDonalds in Baltimore, again, for using the toilet. The employees didn’t help her in that case; they filmed the attack on their phones instead. We’re lucky that the staff in the Union are trained not to do that.

I think we can agree that no student should be assaulted for using the toilet, no matter what the reasons. People use the toilets because, obviously, they need to engage in certain essential bodily functions. That’s the entire point. And in Fruity on a Friday evening, I don’t think a trans* person is going to do any harm at all by their presence in a bathroom. Despite transphobic people saying their presence is dangerous, no-one has been able to cite one case of a trans* person assaulting others –it’s always the other way around. I, personally, would be much more concerned about people who grope others on the dance floor, and create this culture where others, especially women, are under undue pressure to guard themselves.

There is a simple way in which we can lessen the strain on trans* students a little bit. By creating gender-neutral spaces where these students can avail themselves, and encouraging their use, we can help create a safer environment for students. And I’m happy that Leeds is among the universities with such facilities, but just one out-of-the-way toilet isn’t enough. We should be working to converting or building these spaces. We have a new library opening in 18 months, and I hope that it is built with these accessible spaces for trans* people.

When other universities have said that their refurbishment plan came with gender neutral toilets, the usual suspects raise their arms up in indignation. They decry it as political correctness gone mad, that the toilets would somehow make gender-specific toilets more dangerous for female students. But it’s not political correctness gone mad to look after our trans* students, whether they amount to five, fifty, or five thousand. It’s a matter of public safety. We’d be failing at basic humanity were we to not cater for them. And I sincerely hope that the Union never fails at basic humanity

http://www.leedsstudent.org/2013-02-...a-tricky-chore

[Marc]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

Bit of a non story, girls in a bar thought there was a man in the toilets.. the situation was explained, end of.

She was assaulted

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Marc

She was assaulted

Don't post your crazy smiley at me marc, were you there?..
No need to get all militant about it, they thought there was a man in the ladies, the situation was explained and the issue was resolved. End of.

[Marc]

Hmm can't help but feel you're just being awkward for the sake of it. And there's no end of just because you say so.

[AnnieK]

Two girls assaulted someone...whether they thought he was a man or not, there were two of the so should have either got security or asked what he was doing. They should never have laid hands on the person IMO.

[Marc]

Originally Posted by anniek76

Two girls assaulted someone...whether they thought it was a ma or. Not, there were two of the so should have either got security or asked what he was doing. They should never have laid hands on the person IMO.

Exactly, violence is never the answer. No matter how simple it seems to be accepted by some people.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Marc

Hmm can't help but feel you're just being awkward for the sake of it. And there's no end of just because you say so.

You suggested I was crazy for my opinion marc how awkward is that?
I meant that was the end of the altercation not the discussion.

[Me. I Am Salman]

I don't think it's an LGBT issue since she still looked like a man. Just a normal case of assault.

[Suze]

How many times have one of us or others wandered into the wrong loos, it happens, but doesn't warrant a physical attack. Although Alexis in the news item never wandered into the wrong toilets, but the two women in there could have questioned the reason for Alexis being in there rather than just physically attacking Alexis surely. It says more about them as people to do that.

[Kizzy]

Pushing is not assault.

[Glenn.]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

Pushing is not assault.

How do you know it was just a push?

[Z]

I'm with kizzy on this one

[Glenn.]

Besides even if it was just a push its still assault.

It's intentionally touching someone and shoving them when they do not wish to be touched.

[Redway]

What Kizzy said.

I'm sure if they were aware of the LGBT issue they wouldn't have done any of that.

Besides, a push is hardly a beating up, is it? That's if it was just a push, mind. Anything further than that should definitely be classed as assault.

[Suze]

Originally Posted by Glenn

Besides even if it was just a push its still assault.

It's intentionally touching someone and shoving them when they do not wish to be touched.

Exactly, Glenn.

[AnnieK]

Putting your hands on another person without permission can be classed as assault...

I would class it as assault if someone pushed me in the chest out of a bathroom...

[Glenn.]

Originally Posted by anniek76

Putting your hands on another person without permission can be classed as assault...

I would class it as assault if someone pushed me in the chest out of a bathroom...

It is classed as assault.

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by Zee

I'm with kizzy on this one

I have to say, so am I.

You have to factor in that they were all at a club, so alcohol comes into play as well. I don't believe it was a trans-phobia (is that what it is) issue, but a case of them thinking a man was in the female toilets.

[Kizzy]

It isn't classed as anything as no arrests were made, it was a misunderstanding in a toilet which was resolved without escalation.
Wow Charlie Brooker was right, there really is nothing that people won't be outraged against, horrified at or personally offended by is there?

[MTVN]

Yeah I agree that it's not really case of them being discriminatory, they were probably drunk and found it a bit creepy seeing what they thought was a man hanging around in the female toilets, if people were arrested for assault every time someone got a push on a night out half the country would have a criminal record

[Shasown]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

It isn't classed as anything as no arrests were made, it was a misunderstanding in a toilet which was resolved without escalation.
Wow Charlie Brooker was right, there really is nothing that people won't be outraged against, horrified at or personally offended by is there?

Bet old George Michael wishes he had the same breaks.