Shoppers are invited to "Discover the Difference" when they visit the popular department store Debenhams. But for one customer the difference came as something of a shock. In the inner sanctum of the ladies' changing rooms in the store's Luton branch, Sue Freeman encountered a 'woman' with a hairy chest. And when she voiced her outrage she was told that in Debenhams, men are men and a woman is ... anyone in a dress.
The High Street chain, which has 91 stores in Britain, has decreed that suitably attired men can use ladies' changing cubicles and ladies' toilets, and even try on lingerie in the stores.
Mrs Freeman, a 44-year-old mother of two, said: "If they think it is acceptable for a man to try on ladies' underwear then I will never again buy lingerie from Debenhams. I was very offended by what happened and it takes a lot to offend me. I came out of a cubicle in the changing rooms and this person was coming in. It was clearly a man. He was extremely heavily made up, wearing a very obvious wig and a low-cut, tight evening dress - not what you would wear to go shopping in Luton on a Tuesday lunchtime. All I could see at my eye level was black stubble on his chest. As he brushed past me, he said 'Excuse me' in a deep voice. When I pointed this out to the assistant she just looked very embarrassed, shrugged and said: 'What can I do? He is dressed as a woman. If I don't let him in it is discrimination'."
When Mrs Freeman, a PR consultant, wrote to the manager of the Luton store, Nick Pinder, he informed her: "While this is a complicated matter for all concerned, I can confirm that Debenhams' general policy is that transvestites use whichever fitting room is most appropriate to their dress."
Debenhams operates a policy which dictates that transvestites wearing women's clothing cannot try on men's clothes in the women's changing room and must remain dressed as a woman throughout any transaction. A letter to Mrs Freeman from Debenhams' head office confirmed that transvestites - termed "a minority customer group" - can also use the ladies' toilets and try on lingerie.
A spokesman said: "We have about 60 million people passing through our stores every year, as a result of which we deal with all colours, creeds, races, persuasions and inclinations and we have to have policies which cover as many of these as is realistic and which are least offensive to all people."
For the other High Street stores, the issue of transvestism is almost too sensitive to address directly. A spokesman for John Lewis said: "We don't have a policy on this but ladies' changing rooms are for ladies. If a man wants to buy an item of clothing from the ladies' department, he would be welcome to try it on at home." At BHS, a spokeswoman admitted: "It is tricky to know sometimes what gender someone is. We have separate changing rooms in both our men's and women's fashion departments and we try to direct customers into the appropriate area wherever possible." Marks & Spencer, Selfridges and C&A rely on "the tact and discretion" of staff and customers.
Surprisingly, Mrs Freeman's criticism of Debenhams' policy is supported by transvestite groups. Janett Scott, president of the transvestites' campaign group the Beaumont Society, said: "This transvestite was asking for trouble and I have no sympathy for her. If cross-dressers want to be accepted socially, they should act socially." Ms Scott, who was born a man but lives as a woman, added: "Most stores would be surprised how many transvestites use ladies' changing rooms unnoticed. I have never been challenged in Debenhams or Marks & Spencer, but then I don't have a hairy chest. If you take the trouble to look like a lady, you should behave like one and shave."
Copyright The Mail on Sunday, 18th October 1998.