Current Affairs

Loose Women really doesn’t understand gender neutral toilets

Apr 07 2017
Written by Benjamin Butterworth

Illustrated rainbow pride flag on a white background.

Loose Women has caused controversy over a segment of their show on gender neutral toilets.

Host Christine Lampard asked the day’s panelists – Coleen Nolan, Jane Moore and Nadia Sawalha – “Would you Use a unisex toilet?”

The discussion has been labeled “ignorant” by viewers, after the discussion missed a string of key facts about the loos.

The debate was prompted by a row over gender neutral toilets at the Barbican centre in London.

The venue, which has dozens of sets of gendered toilets across its complex, had introduced one single set of gender-neutral toilets in the basement cinema several months ago, bearing the signs ‘toilets with cubicles’ and ‘toilets with urinals and cubicles’.

The ITV show falsely claimed that all toilets in the building had been made gender neutral.

Christine Blakely began the discussion, which opened to the sound of thunder, saying: “Toilets is where you congregate with your mates, to re-apply the lipstick, do the hair before you go back out again, have a gossip.”

Nadia Sawalha said that female toilets are a place she felt “safe”, adding: “I’ve had some of my best nights in the toilets!”

Sawalha then insisted that gender neutral bathrooms mean women have to use the toilet next to men at urinals, saying: “I’ve been in one where you go in and it’s unisex and they do it in the urinal.”

“What if you walk in and he’s already got it out?” she asked.

A poll of viewers found strong opposition to the gender neutral bathrooms with 65% saying they would not use one, compared to 35% who would.

POLL RESULTS: 65% of you said no way would you want to use unisex toilets! https://t.co/H3ZEzKVTw8 pic.twitter.com/myIAoWnChV

— Loose Women (@loosewomen) April 7, 2017

Twitter was keen to point out that many bathrooms are gender neutral – such as people’s homes, airplanes, cafes.