No women’s lavatory raises stink at trans conference

THE National Union of Students has become embroiled in a row after it abolished the women’s lavatories at a trans conference.

The NUS’S Trans Steering Group’s Twitter account provoked anger when it announced that the women’s lavatories at the conference in Manchester had been turned into gender neutral facilities, while a men’s lavatory was left unchanged.

The annual event was held at a Holiday Inn and according to the group, the facilities included “a disabled toilet with a gender neutral sign, gender neutral toilets (formerly women’s toilets), another disabled toilet and men’s”.

Critics said the change discriminated against women. Jane Slavin, an actress who has appeared in Coronation Street and Casualty, said there were “few enough women’s toilets as it is. Even if you disregard the safe space we need more loos because of biology.”

Producer and writer Tracy King said: “You made the women’s toilets gender neutral but not the men’s? I doubt that’s legal given your obligation to not give men something you don’t also provide for women.”

The Trans Steering Group said: “We weren’t able to make all the toilets gender neutral due to some stipulations by the venue. We didn’t get to choose which toilets it happened to.

Delegates debated topics including “transmisogyny and the gender recognition act”.

A spokesman for the NUS said the Twitter account was not an official channel so it was unable to comment.