The manager of a hostel in Lyon has said a female traveller was “lucky” he "didn't press charges" for 'transphobia' when she raised concerns after being confronted with a man in the bathroom of her female dormitory.
Australian woman Cassandra travelled to France for the Olympics and was in Lyon to watch the men's soccer matches.
She booked a female-only dorm with an ensuite at the Alter Hostel through the Hostelworld app and arrived late in the evening. The other guests were sleeping with their curtains closed.
The following morning, she entered the female bathroom and found a man in there.
Cassandra told Women's Forum Australia she approached management in distress.
"My hands were shaking as I spoke to Hugo (General Manager) about the breach of privacy," she said.
Although initially concerned, after checking the bathroom, he returned and hostilely advised Cassandra that the guest was legally a woman and accused her of having a stance that was “political and not factual”.
"He was completely dismissive and told me it was not his problem."
Cassandra requested a refund as she had requested a female-only dorm, which was approved.
Cassandra contacted Hostelworld and relayed her experience. They advised her that they do not condone men being assigned to female dorms under any circumstances and issued her with a credit voucher for the booking fee.
"Once again, I am so sorry that this happened during your stay," they wrote in an email seen by Women's Forum Australia.
"I can assure you that we will follow up with the hostel based on your feedback so thank you for bringing this to our attention.
"I also recommend that you leave a review on our website so you can make other travellers aware of your experience and thank you for your suggestions to bring back the filter selection of women's only dorms in the app too."
However, in a response forwarded by Hostelworld to Cassandra, Hugo, the hostel manager, accused Cassandra of being “transphobic”.
“This guest was transphobic,” he wrote.
“What she did not mention is that the "man" that was in the bathroom was a woman (man who transitioned to woman so identifying as a woman which mean she IS a woman).
“Her personal opinion on the subject does not matter. In France, being transphobic is prohibited by law.
“She clearly refused to admit this person was a woman.
“Nevertheless, I decided to refund her the last night and kindly pleased her to find a hostel that will meet her needs (spoiler: absolutely all hostels in Lyon admit trans people).
“This guest is lucky we didn't press charges on her.
“We are not sorry for her as we do not tolerate such behaviour.”
Women's Forum Australia reached out to Hugo for comment, putting the following questions to him:
"1. Do you think it is appropriate to call the police on women who object to men in female-only spaces?
2. Why do you advertise female dorms if you allow biological men in them?
3. Many women, particularly when travelling solo, feel safe staying in rooms with biological women. Why do you prioritise the feelings of men who want to identify as women over the safety and security of women?
4. Do you think your hostel policies that allow men into female dorms are appropriate, given the increase in sexual assault against women? According to local statistics, it is up nearly 12% compared to last year, with reports sitting around 94,000 reported cases."
In his response to us, Hugo wrote, “Two reminders for you: The guest she was unhappy to see is a WOMAN on her IDENTITY CARD. Being transphobic is a crime. Do I have to go further?”
Women's Forum Australia CEO Rachael Wong says that this story and the hostel manager's appalling response re-affirms the grave issues with sex self-ID laws and policies, which allow men who identify as women to use female-only spaces.
“It is shocking that just a few days after an Australian woman was gang raped in Paris, a male hostel manager in Lyon chose to put the feelings of a man identifying as a woman above the comfort and safety of another female Australian traveller," she said
"We saw how self-ID policies affected female athletes who had to compete against biological males at the Olympics. This is how they are affecting everyday women."
Although France was one of the first countries to sign the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in 1980, which enshrined sex-based rights and protections to women and girls, in 2016, François Hollande's Socialist Government amended its discrimination legislation to include 'gender identity' as a protected attribute.
In Australia, which has rolled out sex self-ID laws around most of the country and which has erased women from our Sex Discrimination Act, women and girls are already facing similar affronts to their sex-based rights across all facets of life, with men who identify as women being allowed to access female-only spaces, services and sports.
Women’s Forum Australia is an independent think tank that undertakes research, education and public policy advocacy on issues affecting women and girls, with a particular focus on addressing behaviours and practices that are harmful and abusive to them. We are a non-partisan, non-religious, tax-deductible charity. We do not receive any government funding and rely solely on donations to make an impact. Support our work today.
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