Are changing rooms with trans women actually unsafe?

No. There is no evidence that trans-inclusive changing rooms create safety problems. The concerns people raise are real as feelings, but they are not borne out by what happens in practice. Countries that have had inclusive policies for years show no pattern of harm. What we see instead is a lot of anxiety about something unfamiliar. Does that match what you have heard, or does it feel different where you are?

Why do changing rooms come up so much in trans debates?

Honestly, because they touch on vulnerability. When you are undressing, you feel exposed, and that makes anxieties louder than they might be elsewhere. Changing rooms become a stand-in for deeper discomfort about change itself. But the striking thing is how much they dominate the conversation compared to how rarely any actual incident occurs. What do you think drives that gap between the worry and the reality?

Changing rooms and trans inclusion: beyond the surface

Substack 22 December 2025

Changing rooms have become one of the loudest flashpoints in debates about trans inclusion, yet the concerns raised rarely match what the evidence actually shows. The discomfort some people feel deserves honest examination, because understanding where that discomfort comes from is the only way to have a conversation that is worth having.

Changing rooms have become a focal point in discussions about trans inclusion, yet they deserve closer examination. When people express discomfort about undressing alongside trans women, it's worth understanding what's really driving that concern and whether it reflects genuine safeguarding issues or something more rooted in unfamiliarity and anxiety.

The prevalence of changing room concerns in debates about trans rights is striking, particularly given how rarely actual problems occur in practice. This article explores the psychology behind these worries, what research tells us about safety in shared spaces, and how other countries have successfully implemented inclusive changing facilities without compromise.

Read the full piece to understand the evidence, challenge some common assumptions, and consider what genuine inclusion actually requires in these everyday spaces.

In response to: Changing Rooms - are they really the biggest challenge to trans inclusion? 🏊‍♀️ (Substack)