TV chef Simon Rimmer defends new restaurant’s gender-neutral toilets from ‘deranged’ trolls
TV chef Simon Rimmer. (Getty for The Ivy /Dave Benett)
Sunday Brunch‘s Simon Rimmer has been forced to defend himself against “deranged” criticism after installing gender-neutral toilets in his new Manchester restaurant.
The TV chef opened his new vegetarian restaurant Greens on Stanley Square in Sale, Greater Manchester, this month.
But he was subjected to criticism on social media for making sure that all of his customers and staff felt safe and provided for by installing gender-neutral toilets in the restaurant.
One Twitter user, who seems to be unusually fixated on toilets, tweeted: “Just been to Simon Rimmer’s lovely new restaurant where I was disappointed to discover gender neutral toilets.
“Men and women awkwardly shuffling round each other wondering if they were in the wrong place.”
The criticism spread like wildfire across “gender-critical” Twitter, with Maya Forstater joining in with the barrage of criticism, the anti-trans Baroness Harriet Nicholson even summoning Rimmer for “a talk”.
The chef was forced to defend himself and his restaurant, and even clarify that there was a single-cubicle accessible toilet available if some customers found gender-neutral toilets “unacceptable”.
“Our decision to have unisex toilets was not taken lightly,” he shared on Twitter.
“We have trans and non-binary customers and staff. We also have a separate accessible toilet for any person who finds the unisex toilets unacceptable. We listen to feedback from customers constantly.”
He even posted photos of the toilets, adding: “Each cubicle is obviously separate, and there is a separate completely private accessible toilet as well.”
this is the communal area – each cubicle is obvs separate and there is a separate completely private accessible toilet as well pic.twitter.com/xIAMgROMon
— simonrimmer (@simonrim) July 16, 2022
As the anti-trans screeching intensified, many of Rimmer’s fans and colleagues rushed to support him.
Irish broadcaster Louise McSharry tweeted: “I’m starting to think some people use the toilet in a dramatically different way to me based on the absolutely deranged replies and quote retweets on this. Just have your piss and go, Sharon.”
I'm starting to think some people use the toilet in a dramatically different way to me based on the absolutely deranged replies and quote RTs on this. Just have your piss and go, Sharon. https://t.co/Be1hy0I4UO— Louise McSharry (@louisemcsharry) July 17, 2022
So Forstater and her sycophants are going after Simon Rimmer for having gender neutral toilets in his restaurants? She can fuck right off, Simon’s a family friend. He’s good people. She needs to get a life and stop obsessing over toilets.— Lotte (@kankurette) July 16, 2022
So the toilets getting the terfs upset are separate rooms, floor to ceiling walls, doors with no gaps, the only bit that's shared is handwashing. In a restaurant, where there's often only one or two loos because so few people need the facilities at once. Completely deranged. https://t.co/GDrLNN92cY— Ellen (@ellcol) July 17, 2022
https://twitter.com/rubytandoh/status/1548608938798731265
Queer chef and Great British Bake Off star Ruby Tandoh added: “Not sure how anyone is managing to take issue with this.
“Hope more businesses follow suit (and stand their ground against the ghouls who seem to think that Simon Rimmer’s restaurant’s loos are the Somme and not, in fact, a place to piss after a Campari and some garlic bread).”
