Center Parcs stands firm over where trans people get changed The Sunday Times 03.11.19

The original article is here.

Center Parcs, the holiday firm, is thought to be one of the first large British companies to have a policy of refusing transgender women access to female changing facilities unless they have gone through a full transition,

The policy emerged publicly after a customer contacted Center Parcs while planning a trip to the Lake District to ask if there were any rules that she should be made aware of as a newly transitioned woman.

In a blog, she says that she started hormone therapy last December. She was told that private changing rooms were available for transgender guests.

A customer services representative added by email: “Transgender guests are welcome to use the changing rooms that match with their acquired gender if they have gone through the full transition. If they are still in the transition period, we would ask that they use the private changing facilities.”

The trans support group Gendered Intelligence, which delivers arts workshops to trans youth, said on Twitter: “There is no justification for a blanket ban on trans people using single-sex facilities.”

Center Parcs runs five resorts in the UK and one in Ireland, with more than 2m visitors last year who are often families enjoying the huge range of sporting activities.

In a statement it said: “It’s a debate we’d rather not be in. But we feel our response is in line with the Equality Act.”

It added that its approach was proportionate to the needs of all guests “and we do provide the option of private changing facilities”.