Marks and Spencer’s transgender changing room policy puts women and girls at risk of voyeurism, a Conservative Peer has said.
The high-street giant says that “as an inclusive retailer and in line with most other retailers, we allow customers the choice of fitting room in respect of how they identify themselves”.
But Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne suggests that M&S and other retailers have been misled into believing the law requires them to allow men who ‘identify’ as women to use all-female spaces.
Single-sex spaces
Equalities Minister Liz Truss recently made clear in a letter to Lady Nicholson that when changes to gender recognition law are announced in the summer, single-sex spaces will still be protected.
Truss said: “I will ensure that government guidance gives a clear message to service providers, schools and others, putting their ability to provide single-sex spaces beyond doubt.”
Lady Nicholson has now written to Archie Norman, Chairman of Marks & Spencer, to encourage him “to follow the Government’s line and resume single-sex spaces for the changing rooms in your stores”.
‘Voyeurism’
The Peer said that women and girls need to be protected from voyeurism, which could arise if men are permitted access to their spaces, pointing out that the recent ‘upskirting law’ was passed to prevent such attacks.
She said: “Since changing of clothes can lead to voyeurism, newer legislation (the upskirting law) calls this laxness into question”.
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