Jack Nicholls "As a trans Australian, I was kicked out of a UK toilet. This is not the open-hearted Britain I remember" {Waugh, Waugh, waugh}

The Guardian ^ | 15th June 2025 | Jack Nicholls

[Cronos]

It was my last night in London before returning to Australia. I was in full makeup and a dress when my female friends took me out dancing at an alternative hub that has always prided itself on being an accepting place. We danced and drank and shouted incoherent enthusiasms to each other. But as the gin and tonics settled in my bladder, I felt my anxiety building. In 15 years of visiting Britain I have been presenting feminine in public without any problem, including using women’s bathrooms.

But now I needed to piss, and I was afraid.

...And there she was. The literal toilet police. She was a stocky woman marking each visitor as they approached the door and, as we passed, she raised a finger of doom and pointed it at me. “NO,” she commanded, then rotated the finger towards the masculine pictogram. “You go there.”

...My friends came to the rescue, telling the guard to back off and escorting me into the women’s, which was crowded with people. Gaze fixed downwards to hide my humiliation, I pushed into a cubicle and peed. My head was ringing, there were raised voices outside, then the rap at the door.

...“OUT!”

There was commotion, complete strangers were clamouring, I think, in my defence. The toilet policewoman ignored it all. I was obviously leaving anyway; there was nothing to be gained now but my humiliation.

I can’t remember if I was given a chance to wash my hands.

For a minute afterwards I stood crying against the wall. Then the toilet policewoman returned and took up position in front of me. She looked a little ashamed, and she touched a now-gentler hand to my arm.

“It’s not me,” she said. “It’s just the way things are now.”

[alexander_busek]

This... thing?

Regards,

[stockpirate]

I knew a person in a band. Whenever his band played in the area I would go. It was a nice club to visit. This is 10-12 years ago. The last time I went to see the band he had a trans man friend there also. His trans friend was acting like a nut. But my friend encouraged him on.

I never went to see his band again and stoped visiting that club.

I felt insulted that the transman was there.

[Mastador1]

Yo MOFO, want to use a women’s restroom? Why don’t you go try it in one of London’s muzzy conclaves, you won’t have to about pissin anywhere after that.

[fella]

How dare they call that pervert a pervert.

[Andy'smom]

I really think it was Bud Light.

[fella]

"And there she was. The literal toilet police."

Sounds like Buc-cee's.

There was time when higher class movie houses, restaurants and clubs had restroom attendants.

[bobbo666]

Yeah, an “accepting place”. That means a place where closet gays can arrange a pickup and pretend it is a hetero hook up.

Yeah.

[Cronos]

There are many muzzle men under them burqas