02-06-2025
Spa that banned trans women is forced to apologise
Transgender rights activists have forced a spa to apologise for banning biological men from a steam room session.
Beach Box Spa in Brighton was accused of giving in to the 'woke mob' after it said sorry for excluding trans women from the female-only session last Thursday.
Owners had originally opted to exclude transgender women from the session to allow female customers to feel safe while relaxing in their swimwear.
They later performed a U-turn after facing criticism from transgender activists online.
In a message on their website, they said the decision had been 'wrong' and 'goes against everything we believe in'.
They also said they 'believe trans women are women and trans men are men.'
The firm is also now holding a new 'queer sauna session' from Thursday and said its staff may require further 'LGBTQ+ inclusion training.'
Customers accused the spa of ignoring the law in light of the Supreme Court's ruling that transgender women are not legally women.
One said: 'This self-flagellation over supporting women's right to safety, privacy and dignity is sickening.'
Another customer pointed out that the business had opted to 'alienate and offend women' rather than take into account the court ruling.
The row began after an Instagram follower asked if a transgender woman could attend, only to be told: 'This is for cis women.'
Cis, or cisgender, is a term used to describe someone whose gender identity aligns with their biological sex.
India Willoughby, a transgender newsreader and vocal critic of JK Rowling, accused the spa of 'excluding trans women from women's spaces'.
One critic said: 'I absolutely loved your saunas but your decision to exclude trans women is incredibly disappointing.
'Your business operates in a queer city. I won't be using a space that excludes my trans siblings. Please do better than this.'
'Against everything we believe in'
The full apology from Beach Box said: 'We got it wrong and we are so incredibly sorry.
'At Beach Box, we've always aimed to create an inclusive, welcoming space for everyone-regardless of gender, identity, background or lived experience.
'But this week, we made a mistake that caused hurt and disappointment, particularly within our trans communities.
'We want to say, with sincerity – we are truly sorry.
'We now understand that promoting or hosting a cis-only event goes against everything we believe in.
'It was wrong, and we take full responsibility for the harm this has caused. One of our comments on Instagram added to that harm, and we deeply regret it.
'We want Beach Box to continue to be a space where everyone feels welcome and we'll keep doing the work to make sure it feels that way.'
