Transgender woman wins landmark discrimination case forcing ferry firm to remove the words 'ladies

a reply to: zazzafrazz

The term ladies has what exactly to do with being told use a disabled toilet?

Wait a second, the disabled toilets are not used by both men and women, they are either in the mens room or the ladies room, men and women don't share them, not around here anyway.

Well if she won the case, why stop at the ferry? Shouldn't every bathroom everywhere in her land have to adopt the same policy?

Just think how long women have fought for equal rights, only to have men in drag invade there restrooms,

It's called the squeaky wheel gets the grease, people cave to their complaints because they don't want the hassle.

a reply to: In4ormant

Yea i agree. I suppose the ferry company just decided to remove the wording from the door rather than have to educate their employees on how to deal with such inquiries in future.

Also we don't know exactly what was said on the phone call, or the manner in which it was said, all of which might have been contributing factors to the complainant taking the case in the first place.

Like I said, if it was me, I wouldn't even have asked in the first place. The last thing I want to do when I'm out is draw attention to myself as trans. I've never had an issue using the ladies room, I have though had some nasty encounters when using the gents. For the most part though I'd have to say that the vast majority of people I've met who recognised me as transgender have been cordial and friendly and supportive. Maybe I've just been lucky, maybe it's because in Ireland, people don't seem to get so het up about things like this.

a reply to: Annee

OH MY F*CKING GOD!

Are you even for real... is there no progressive notion you will NOT defend!??!

You can't be serious calling this discrimination, this is a trans person flaunting their power nonchalantly. No one in their right mind would be seriously humiliated by something like this. And if they do get humiliated they are mentally fragile, they need to be diagnosed with something.. It's not mature, it's not even sane to be this weak of mind.

For how long will these histrionic people keep upping the ante in this game? And how far can you mold a population to nurture weak minds? At some point everyone will literally be offended by everything..

These people have never heard of the concept of exposure therapy or the psychology behind it.. they think they can legislate everything, and make the government protect them from exactly everything that might perturb their fragile emotional state. These people went in the exact opposite direction of exposure therapy, they flee from any unwanted stimuli and think that this is healthy, that they will be able to cope with life in this way. This is literally insane, why aren't psychologists speaking up about this? We have a generation of law students studying rape in law, that don't even WANT TO HEAR THE F*CKING NAME RAPE BECAUSE IT MIGHT TRIGGER THEM! How are these human simulacra, these f*cking homunculi ever gonna deal with real life if this is how the world around them decides to deal with them? They are cursed to be perpetual babies.

originally posted by: redshoes
a reply to: In4ormant

Yea i agree. I suppose the ferry company just decided to remove the wording from the door rather than have to educate their employees on how to deal with such inquiries in future.

Also we don't know exactly what was said on the phone call, or the manner in which it was said, all of which might have been contributing factors to the complainant taking the case in the first place.

Like I said, if it was me, I wouldn't even have asked in the first place. The last thing I want to do when I'm out is draw attention to myself as trans. I've never had an issue using the ladies room, I have though had some nasty encounters when using the gents. For the most part though I'd have to say that the vast majority of people I've met who recognised me as transgender have been cordial and friendly and supportive. Maybe I've just been lucky, maybe it's because in Ireland, people don't seem to get so het up about things like this.

Glad to see it hasn't been an issue for you.

The question begs, does this mean all restrooms have been ruled discriminatory by precedent? If she felt that way about the wording then any ladies room door should fall under that.

a reply to: TheLaughingGod

It's ok mate. How long is the life expectancy of a snowflake?

originally posted by: Stormdancer777
Just think how long women have fought for equal rights, only to have men in drag invade there restrooms,

It's called the squeaky wheel gets the grease, people cave to their complaints because they don't want the hassle.

Just think of the number of trans women who have been violently assaulted and killed. Not to mention that 42% of transgender people attempt suicide at some stage in their life due to the amount of stigma and discrimination that they suffer.

Transgender muder victims 2015

I understand that to some people it might seem that the whole transgender debate seems to be moving at a very fast pace of the last few years. But what you have to realise is that we've been dealing with this ourselves for decades.

To have ourselves described as 'men in drag' is to be little the very real struggle that we have been living with our entire lives and only adds to the stigma. It all adds up. Every pointed comment, every finger pointed, every demeaning insult. To have to go through your life, every minute thinking, 'am I giving the right impression' , 'does my voice sound right', 'am I standing the right way', and so on. Not to mention that in most countries, in order to just get on with your life and live it as the best version of you than you can be, you still need to see a doctor and get a diagnosis of mental illness before you can be legally recognized as who you really are.

Can you imagine, just for a moment, what it would be like to live your entire life looking in the mirror and never seeing yourself?

a reply to: Morrad

This is now starting to really get pathetic.

Havn't these signs been on toilets since..... well.... since Toilets became public places??

Go see the Doctor.... please.

a reply to: redshoes

You both are going off topic.

We are discussing this ladies court case to remove "ladies" off a bathroom because it's discriminatory and the courts decision that somehow it was.

originally posted by: In4ormant


As I understand it, the company choose to remove the wording from the doors voluntarily. There was no judgment that having the words there was in itself deemed discriminatory. I honestly don't think that argument would hold up in law.

- Correction, apparently that was the basis of her case. Seems a bit flaky to me to be honest.

edit on 26-5-2016 by redshoes because: Correction.

a reply to: redshoes

'I only hope other companies take Condor's lead.'

Condor Ferries said it had worked with Ms Bisson to draw up a list of measures 'to remove the possibility of inadvertent discrimination.'

A spokesman said: 'Following lodging of a complaint about transgender discrimination, we worked with the person concerned to draw up a list of measures that Condor ferries could take to remove the possibility of inadvertent discrimination.

'These measures were then approved by both the complainant and the tribunal and we have been happy to implement all actions to their satisfaction.'


Negative ghostrider, she worked with them to come to this decision

a reply to: In4ormant

Who is she to speak on my behalf (and ALL women) as to what identifies us as a female on a toilet sign?

There is another thing I'm going sue them for.

a reply to: In4ormant

Yeah right... so now signs will be changed everywhere now??

I think they should have a trans toilet and a gay toilet actually.

originally posted by: TruthxIsxInxThexMist
a reply to: In4ormant

Yeah right... so now signs will be changed everywhere now??

I think they should have a trans toilet and a gay toilet actually.

This kinda puts her in a pickle. She either has to move this motion forward to address all bathrooms with words on them or never be seen entering one.

Might not feel like a victory to her in the future.

originally posted by: zazzafrazz
a reply to: In4ormant

Who is she to speak on my behalf (and ALL women) as to what identifies us as a female on a toilet sign?

There is another thing I'm going sue them for.

Because people are too afraid to call b.s. anymore.

originally posted by: TruthxIsxInxThexMist
a reply to: In4ormant

Yeah right... so now signs will be changed everywhere now??

I think they should have a trans toilet and a gay toilet actually.

No. That's not the outcome. First of all it was as a result of a hearing in a tribunal which doesnt have the same effect of establishing a legal precedent. Second of all this was the compromise that the ferry company and the complainant agreed to.

So the use of the word 'forced' in the OP is misleading as by their own admission this was the solution that the ferry company say they agreed with.

To my mind, there are simpler solutions than trying to redraw gender boundries on doors. Other service providers have been able to accommodate trans individuals without needing to change the wording on the doors and they have not been judged to be acting in a discriminatory fashion.

a reply to: In4ormant

Well, these people will get really chewed out by life by the time they grow up.

Especially if Western civilisation continues its nosedive these coming decades.

I only hope something resembling sanity might emerge out of the decomposing corpse.

originally posted by: redshoes

Its perhaps going overboard to take it to the court its not something I would be inclined to do, however some trans people have experienced more discrimination than I have and are perhaps understandably sensitive.

Court cases set legal precedent.

Better then a slap on the wrist IMO.

EDIT: OK, thanks. Maybe it will prevent future court cases then.

No. That's not the outcome. First of all it was as a result of a hearing in a tribunal which doesnt have the same effect of establishing a legal precedent. Second of all this was the compromise that the ferry company and the complainant agreed to.

I...just...

When they say a transgender woman...do they mean a man who identifies as a woman or a woman who is transexual and identifies as a man? Not that it's confusing at all, not by any means (whew, dodged a bullet there).

We shouldn't complain about this...being labelled as a cis-gender...whatever that even is, doesn't offend me. The only thing that offends me is my offensive, bigoted mindset.

We should just do away with words like, he, she, boy and girl.

I want us all to be known as 'its' or 'things', which is never offensive to anyone.