Topshop introduces gender-neutral changing rooms

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Nov 9, 2017

Arcadia’s Topshop has decided to make all fitting rooms at Topshop and Topman stores across the country gender-neutral after a transgender customer accused the retailer of being ‘transphobic’ following an incident in a Topshop store in Manchester.

Travis Alabanza, who identifies as 'transfeminine', said on Twitter they were denied access to the store’s female cubicles earlier this month, and was asked to use the male changing room instead.

The tweet has been shared 240 times and received over 970 likes. Travis also wrote later: “Who made you in charge of deciding who is woman enough to use your changing room? You just lost an easy sale and money.”

According to Arcadia, the gender-neutral changing room policy has been in place since the summer, but hadn’t been properly rolled out amongst its staff. A spokesperson said: “All Topshop and Topman customers are free to use any of the fitting rooms located within our stores.”

Topshop is one of Britain’s most popular fashion brands and has over 300 stores across the country. Its decision to remove women-only changing rooms follows US brand Urban Outfitters, and as the lines between ‘male’ and ‘female’ continue to blur, more brands are likely to follow suit.