M&S bows to PC brigade on baby signs for gents toilets
MARKS & SPENCER has been forced to change its toilet signs after they were denounced as sexist by shoppers.
Even police weighed into the row, which started after a customer pointed out that the pink female signs show a woman with a baby, while the blue male icons have just a man in a tie.
Critics said the signs suggest that women should be the only parent looking after a child, even though many of the stores’ male toilets are equipped with baby changing mats.
The high street chain yesterday finally bowed to social media pressure and agreed to add an image of a child to all its signs for male toilets which have baby changing facilities.
It had initially refused to change them, but altered its stance after a backlash online.
However, some supported Marks and Spencer’s original stance, saying that some people ‘walk around wondering what to get offended at’.
The debate was sparked by shopper Sharon Sawyer, 48, who took a picture of the signs at a Marks & Spencer store in Holmbush shopping centre in Shoreham, West Sussex.
In a public Facebook message addressed to the shop, Mrs Sawyer, from Worthing, wrote: ‘I was surprised and disappointed at the pictures for the toilets.
‘I expected being a family store that you understood that families very much share children’s needs and personal care, not just women. The picture shows a woman and child. The picture in the comments just shows a man, why?’ She added: ‘It has nothing to do with baby changing. They are the entrances to the male and female toilets, there are no baby changing facilities in the toilets. It’s just plain sexist for all concerned, men and women. Symbols mean a lot.’
The signs are in place in Marks & Spencer stores across the country, although a spokesman stressed it is an older design and does not appear in newer shops.
The designs were also condemned by Sergeant Peter Allan, the hate crime and transgender equality advocate for Sussex Police. Replying to the Facebook message, Sergeant Allan said: ‘Well done. I know I have had conversations with Tesco and Sainsbury’s about issues of gender identity.
‘This should not still be happening in 2017, but with people like you, it will hopefully reduce.’
However, one customer, Marcus Riley, commented: ‘The man is for the male toilets. The baby changing is probably in the female toilets or next to it as it’s usually separate.
‘It’s almost like people walk around wondering what they can get offended at.’ A spokesman for
‘Outdated assumptions’
Marks & Spencer said: ‘Our baby changing facilities are in a unisex area and we also provide a baby changing mat in both the male and female toilet facilities.’
She said the firm will be adding an image of a child on to all the signs for male toilets if baby changing facilities were available, adding that many shops have a unisex changing area that is separate from the toilets.
The Shoreham store has baby changing mats in both the male and female toilets, so M&S will now have to add a baby to the men’s sign. The sign for the ladies will remain the same.