From someone who would know: Gender neutral fitting rooms unnecessary

3News 21 July 2015
The co-founder of a transgender support group says a department store’s move to ditch separate men’s and women’s fitting rooms is “totally unnecessary”.

Farmers is making its fitting rooms ‘gender-neutral’ after a complaint was laid by Aucklander Mary Haddock-Staniland, who was described as a “half-man, half-woman” by staff at its Botany store in June.

After an internal investigation and discussions with Ms Haddock-Staniland, Farmers yesterday said it would be overhauling its fitting rooms to remove any reference to gender.

“I think this is an opportunity for New Zealand retail overall to kind of embark on siding or looking at ways they deal with similar situations, and I look forward to this incident being a catalyst for change,” says Ms Haddock-Staniland.

But her view isn’t held by everyone in the transgender community. Claudia McKay, co-founder of Agender, transitioned 18 years ago.

“All that time I’ve shopped in Farmers stores continuously, all around the country. I have never, ever had a single issue or problem,” she told TV3’s Paul Henry programme.

“I think what’s been happening in this individual case is more a problem with one staff member than the store itself, or the store’s policies.”
http://www.3news.co.nz/nznews/gender-neutral-fitting-rooms-just-unnecessary-2015072109#axzz3gOeJazvj

Public toilets should be gender neutral to make people feel safer – advocate
OneNewsNow 21 July 2015
A transgender support organisation says encouraging gender neutrality is about making people feel safer and in some cases giving them a choice.

The Ministry of Education has made suggestions in its newly-released health and sexuality guidelines document that schools look at introducing gender-neutral uniforms.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/public-toilets-should-be-gender-neutral-to-make-people-feel-safer-advocate-q02402

‘Stop this PC rubbish!’ – Kiwis slam door on gender neutral toilets
OneNewsNow 21 July 2015
Many New Zealanders have slammed the door on gender neutral toilets if reaction on social media to the call from a transgender support organisation is anything to go by.