The Uk Toilet Incident

I’ve not been using a men’s restroom since September 2022. Why I know so precisely? Because in September the incident happened. It’s not dramatic, more a bit funny I guess. So lets start with the situation, shall we?

I was attending the first company retreat after Covid, a month before I officially joined the company. It took place at the wonderful De Vere Wokefield Estate. Three days of getting to know new colleagues and listen to talks and workshops. As this was my first time as a trans person in the UK I had thoughts … many thoughts … about my bathroom choice. Not that the situation back then was as dire as it is nowadays (2026), but I decied to be cautious.

So it happened that between to talks in the conference center of the hotel I had to visit the loo. And I thought: try not to create a confrontation, just use the men’s restroom. I was standing at the sink, washing my hands, wearing a blue shirt dress with a belt (I will never forget what I was wearing!), when the door flew open, a man in his early fourties wearing a suit rushed in swiftly. Saw me standing at the sink, stopped dead on the doorstep, took half a step back to look at the sign next to the door and reassured about being in the correct room entered. He walked past me with a facial expression that still showed some discomfort. Not being upset about me. Just this “I dont know what to make of this situation” look.

And in this moment I decided not to cause any distress for these poor fragile male souls anymore and to use the women’s restroom. And I never looked back. I always was disgusted by men’s toilets. Not only because a lot of them stink because the crown of creation is unable to sit down on the loo. Also because I find urinals and men using them extremely disgusting. But this is a story for another post …