Brighton sauna owner apologises for excluding trans women from women-only session: ‘We deeply regret it’
The Beach Box sauna apologised, saying that "hosting a cis-only event goes against everything we believe in"
By Gary Grimes
The owner of a sauna in Brighton has issued an apology after the sauna excluded trans women from attending womens only sessions.
Beach Box recently advertised a womens only session, but drew criticism after it clarified that trans women were not permitted to attend and saying that they could instead attend an LGBTQ+ session instead.
Liz Watson, CEO and founder of the company, has since issued a statement via the company’s Instagram page apologising for this decision which begins by noting “it was entirely her mistake and was not the fault of any of her team members.”
“We got it wrong and we are so incredibly sorry,” the statement reads. “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,” it goes on to say. “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.”
The statement also notes that Beach Box takes “full responsibility for the harm this has caused. One of our comments on Instagram added to that harm, and we deeply regret it.”
The sauna opted to turn comments off on the apology post to prevent any discussion which might include further harmful language being posted.
“To those who have spoken up and shared how this made you feel, thank you” – Beach Box sauna
The company noted that whilst its staff undertook LGBTQ+ inclusion training by Switchboard, “it’s clear that we still have work to do. We are listening and learning and we know that being inclusive in intention isn’t enough when the impact tells a different story.
“We are currently reviewing our events programme and internal processes to ensure Beach Box is a space where everyone feels safe, seen, and welcome,” the statement continues. “Not just in words, but in action.”
“To those who have spoken up and shared how this made you feel, thank you. Your voices matter deeply to us, and we’re committed to doing better, both now and in the long term,” it concludes.