There has been a tendency for companies and organisations to introduce gender-neutral toilets without thinking about the consequences. This article was found in the Sunday People newspaper (UK), Dec 29th 2019.
Cash-strapped defence chiefs spent almost 15,000 on “gender-neutral” toilets- but female staff are refusing to use them because they are “too smelly”.
Top brass transformed 13 single-sex lavatories into mixed loos at the MoD (Government department Ministry of Defence) in Whitehall.
Male and female signs were replaced with the word toilet, while sanitary towel dispensers and bins were installed. The cost was revealed under Freedom of Information laws.
A female civil servant (government employee) working at the HQ said last night: “I don’t go anywhere near the new gender-neutral loos as they are too smelly. None of my female colleagues feel comfortable using them. There was nothing wrong with the old toilets. Not one person ever complained. I don’t want to hear a man going to the toilet and I don’t want to make eye contact with him after I have been there. I doubt very much you could find a single person in the MoD who feels this policy is sensible. Everybody knows how strapped for cash the department is in. Creating gender-neutral toilets is just daft.”
Colonel Richard Kemp, former Commander of British Forces in Afghanistan, said: “It’s shocking that the Army is being dragged into political correctness. Given how stretched and how busy our forces are, it is surprising someone has to worry about this sort of thing.”
The Taxpayers’ Alliance said: “Creating gender-neutral toilets no-one wants to use is flushing public money down the drain. Instead of frittering away cash on right-on nonsense, officials should focus on putting every penny into frontline services.”
The MoD said: “As a modern and inclusive employer, we provide a range of facilities for staff.”