The City of Cape Town has committed to reviewing their policies and guidelines regarding access to its toilet facilities for transgender people.
This comes after a transgender woman Taswald Ruiters was barred from using a female toilet while at a sporting event in Green Point Athletics Stadium last week.
Ruiters said the incident left her feeling humiliated and violated. Ruiters recounts that after using the female bathroom, she and a friend walked to the tuck shop. While there, a man, who introduced himself as the toilet manager, approached her friend.
Ruiters wasn't paying attention to their conversation, but when they walked away, her friend informed her of the troubling exchange. The man allegedly told her friend that Ruiters was not permitted to use the female toilets and that if he caught her doing so again, she would be thrown out of the stadium.
"I asked the manager to show me the rules and regulations regarding toilet usage," Ruiters explained. "I told him I was uncomfortable using the men's bathroom, not just because I’m a transgender woman, but because of the clothes I was wearing. I genuinely feared for my safety.
Ruiters went on to describe how the situation escalated when the manager’s colleagues joined in, making derogatory comments about her being a man and catcalling her. "They called me 'oulik' in an almost antagonistic way," she said.
In response, Ruiters began recording the incident on her cellphone. The manager told her to delete the footage, but she refused, asserting her rights as a human being. "Then he started threatening me, saying he would hit me," she added. "I felt disheartened because these are things we go through every day. I’m raising a 5-year-old daughter, and I’m scared that she will see the world’s nastiness."
Ruiters expressed her concern for her daughter’s future: "I fear the day I get attacked like that in front of her. What will she think? That’s why I want to raise awareness, so people can learn about transgender rights and become more educated."
Spokesperson for the City of Cape Town, Luthando Tyhalibongo, explained that the City does not have a specific policy regarding toilet access at its facilities. However, he added that the City would consider creating guidelines for such situations when reviewing its policies in the future.
“The venue and facilities were rented for the event by the Western Province High School Athletics (Table Bay zone). In such cases, the tenant is responsible for all logistics, including the appointment and management of security services,” Tyhalibongo said.
Ruiters hopes that sharing her experience will raise awareness and foster understanding between different gender communities.