Tennis fans criticis Wimbledon after gender-neutral toilets spotted

2022-06-26

‘Wimbledon is about tradition’: Tennis fans criticise world-famous venue after gender-neutral toilets built during the pandemic are spotted for the first time

They were added as part of a Logistics Hub built during the pandemic in 2020
Single-sex toilets will still be available throughout the grounds in London
It comes amid fierce debate over the issue of trans women in female spaces

Tennis fans have criticised Wimbledon after gender-neutral toilets built during the pandemic were spotted for the first time at the world-famous venue.

Gender neutral toilets are now open for fans after being added as part of a Logistics Hub built during the pandemic in 2020.

But not everyone was pleased with the development, with one long-time female fan saying: ‘Wimbledon is about tradition, it doesn’t have to follow every fad.’

Single-sex toilets will still be available throughout the grounds.

A spokesperson for the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) told MailOnline: ‘A toilet at Gate 1D which has a gender neutral sign was part of a build back in 2020.’

Wimbledon’s stalls will be back at full capacity tomorrow, after the 2020 event was cancelled due to Covid, as the tournament starts in south west London with Andy Murray facing Australia’s James Duckworth in the first round.

Tennis fans have criticised Wimbledon after gender-neutral toilets built during the pandemic were spotted for the first time at the world-famous venue

Gender neutral toilets are now open for fans after being added as part of a Logistics Hub built during the pandemic in 2020. Single-sex toilets will still be available throughout the grounds

It comes amid fierce debate over the issue of trans women in female spaces, such as hospital wards, and whether they should be allowed to compete in women’s sports.

It was reported that NHS hospitals have spent more than £800,000 on gender-neutral toilets in the past four years.

Data obtained by the TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA) showed nearly 740 new unisex toilets were either built or converted since 2018 — including during the Covid pandemic.

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, in Merseyside, alone spent more than £586,000 on 63 gender-neutral lavatories.

It is not clear how many of the toilets are single unisex or shared ones, with the latter causing the greatest concern among women.

Liverpool Women’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust — which specialises in treating women and babies — has installed three new gender-neutral facilities in the last four years, costing around £1,000.

Andy Murray makes his way to a practice session ahead of the 2022 Wimbledon Championship at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Wimbledon

Similarly, the National Trust was accused of pursuing a ‘woke agenda’ in May for introducing gender-neutral toilets at 17th-century property in Wales.

A row broke out online after a woman said she opened a door in toilets at Tredegar House in Newport to reveal a man urinating without the door locked.

A sign on the lavatory door of the café said: ‘Gender-neutral toilets. Alternative toilet facilities are available by the main car park.’

Chancellor Rishi Sunak previously insisted ‘biology is critical’ when approaching questions about gender-neutral toilets — although he avoided expanding on the issue.

NHS hospitals have spent more than £800,000 on gender-neutral toilets over the past four years

A sign on the lavatory door of the café at Tredegar House in Newport, South Wales, says: ‘Gender neutral toilets. Alternative toilet facilities are available by the main car park’

Tredegar House is deemed one of the most significant late 17th-century houses in Britain

The majority of Britons say they prefer having separate toilets just for men and women, according to a YouGov poll in January this year.

Government guidance issued in January last year stated: ‘There needs to be proper provision of gender-specific toilets for both men and women, with a clear steer in building standards guidance.’

It cited concerns around the removal of male- or female-only spaces in favour of gender-neutral toilets.

‘This places women at a significant disadvantaged,’ the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities and Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government advice said.

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