I sometimes wonder what the average person would think of our current headlines in, let’s say, 1990. What would a normal liberal person — let’s say, Senator Joseph R. Biden, for example — have thought of this story from the Daily Mail: “Shopping centre takes down ‘ladies only’ toilet sign after ‘militant’ transgender and non-binary group complains it puts community ‘in danger.’”
Yeah, that’s right. A shopping mall — Prospect Centre in Hull, East Yorkshire — actually took down a “ladies only” sign posted outside the women’s bathroom to warn men against using it while the male facilities were temporarily closed because a transgender group claimed that it was dangerous.
The sign, claimed the group, constituted “toilet policing.” The mall staff instantly leapt into action to ensure that the rainbow mafia would not accuse them further, aware of what might happen if the accusations of endangering LGBT people escalated. The “ladies only” sign was removed post-haste, with an immediate apology.
The gratified trans activists released a statement: “We immediately contacted them to express our concern that this poses the risk of encouraging so called ‘toilet policing,’ which is an act that is growing in frequency and puts Trans and non binary people in danger. Today Prospect Centre had let us know that they have listened to our concerns, and these signs will be taken down immediately, which we welcome. We are glad to see that the Prospect Centre’s management are so willing to hear safety concerns from the LGBTQIA+ community and our allies.”
The actual ladies, of course, were less than pleased by this. One woman — conspicuously anonymous, I noticed — told the Mail: “This is just another example of people, businesses and organisations panicking in the face of criticism from a very small but very loud and militant community. The sign was there to ensure women using the women’s toilets were not made to feel unsafe or uncomfortable by men coming into the loos … I respect anyone’s rights to be who they want to be. But I believe many women will recognise this as another example of women’s rights are being undermined in favour of a small community representing trans and non-binary people.”
