Woke outcry over National Trust gender neutral loos
THE National Trust is facing fresh criticism over its ‘woke’ agenda after it introduced gender-neutral toilets at its historic properties.
Members have complained about the shared loos which have been installed in several homes around the country.
Describing a trip to 17th century Tredegar House in Newport, South Wales, a female visitor said: ‘I was forced to use your “gender-neutral” toilets. First door I tried opened to reveal a man peeing without the door locked.’
Leaving her dog outside the cubicle, she added: ‘A man started a conversation with the dog, until I called out that she was with me. Everyone involved was mortified, so please tell me how your “gender-neutral” toi
‘Extremely uncomfortable’
lets are inclusive. I won’t be renewing my membership.’
The woman’s tweet attracted 1,300 ‘likes’ and dozens of calls for a boycott. A man wrote: ‘Hi National Trust, stop being woke and restore the status quo regarding toilets.’
A woman added: ‘I had to stand outside the door for my teenage niece, as she was extremely uncomfortable as there were men waiting to use the same toilet.’
A sign on the door at the mansion’s cafe states: ‘Gender neutral toilets. Alternative toilet facilities are available by the main car park.’
The charity’s Sutton House in Hackney, east London, was ‘the first to introduce a gender-neutral toilet’, says its website. A female visitor there said: ‘I’m having second thoughts about going now. I am not comfortable sharing.’ Other properties with the toilets include Croome in Worcestershire, where a visitor said: ‘When I raised concerns with one of the guides, she said that was the way things are nowadays.’
The charity has come in for growing criticism in the past few years for pursuing a ‘woke’ agenda, including making volunteers wear gay pride badges and a report linking 93 properties to colonialism and slavery.
A backlash led to a motion of no confidence in former chairman Tim Parker at last year’s annual general meeting. He later resigned.
A National Trust spokesman said: ‘We try to accommodate the needs of visitors. We do have unisex toilets. Alongside these we have male and female toilet facilities.’