Cisgender Woman Accused Of Being Trans

Back in 2016 the ACLU reported that “a Texas woman trying to use a women’s restroom in a hospital was accosted by a man twice her size trying to make sure she was “going in the right place,” all because she was wearing a baseball hat with short hair.” The woman in question was cisgender (cis) not transgender. A cis woman was the victim of that man’s transphobia and misogyny.

I say misogyny because he reduced that woman to the sexist stereotypes of how he thought a woman should look. Could he always tell? Clearly not!

Tip Of The Iceberg

The Texas incident is far from isolated. Around the same time a cis woman in Danbury, Conneticut was washing her hands in a woman's restroom when a stranger called her “disgusting” and remarked that she didn’t “belong here!” A cis woman being told she didn't belong in a single sex space for women. Why? Because she had a pixie-style haircut and baseball cap. Which in the strangers mind made her a man.

In 2023 Las Vagas, a cis woman was accosted in a women’s restroom. Another woman aggressively said “Trans, figure out your identity at home ... they better not come out of there. .. that's not allowed ... that's a boy, [and] they think this is [OK] because it's being taught in schools.” Why? Because she had really short hair.

In 2025 Florida, a 6ft 4in cis woman was fired from her job at Wallmart because a customer falsely accused her of being transgender.

The woman faced a threat of being beaten up when a man followed her into a female restroom. She believes “he assumed that I am trans because of my height. It was terrifying.”

A woman not only lost her job but suffered a terrifying experience in an environment where she should of been safe. Why? Because a man deemed her too tall to be a woman.

In 2025 Minnesota, the Advocate reported that an 18 year old cis girl “filed a gender discrimination case against a Buffalo Wild Wings location after a server reportedly followed her into the bathroom and made her prove she is not transgender.”

Yet another example of someone experiencing appearance based discrimination. A terrifying and traumatic experience caused by transphobia and misogyny.

The Advocate also reported on another incident that took place the same year in Pheonix Arrizona.

They reported:

“A Black 19-year-old cisgender lesbian from Phoenix is demanding accountability after she was confronted by two male sheriff’s deputies in a Tucson Walmart women’s restroom last week.

Arizona resident Kalaya Morton, who describes herself as a stud, or masculine-presenting woman, says the deputies were called by a store employee who allegedly assumed she was a transgender woman.”

Not A US Only Crisis

This is not a US only crisis. Many incidents in other parts of the world have been reported too.

2025 London, a cis woman was harrassed by a man who accused of her using the wrong bathroom. While in a queue to use the female bathroom a man yelled “The men’s toilets are on this side!”

All because she had short hair and dressed in masculine clothing.

2024 Exeter UK, Assigned Media Reported:

“A half-marathon win by a mother-of-four in Exeter, UK is demonstrating in stark terms how much the anti-trans hate campaign has done for women in athletics. Anna Harrold’s victory at the Great West Race was met by slurs, harassment, and false claims that she was a trans woman, according to reporting in the Independent. Harold later told the Independent that no one should be subjected to such monstrous treatment.”

Protecting Women And Girls?

Of course many more incidents go unreported. These incidents have a devastating impact on the victim's health, safety, and in some cases their career.

Is this protecting women and girls? Do these trans bathroom and single-sex space bans make so-called “biological women” safer. These reports suggest otherwise. They point towards women and girls being less safe in these spaces.

The UK EHRC is determined to press ahead with its appearance based trans exclusions. Backed by bad faith anti-trans charities, they will stop at nothing to force these cruel and demonising exclusions into law.

Alongside the countless future harms done to trans people, how much harm will this cause to cis people? Cis people who don’t quite look woman or man enough. It is certain from the evidence presented here that many more will be accosted, harrassed and abused. Is this what we want as a society? Do these exclusions actually protect anyone? I believe only harm and suffering to both cis and trans people will result from them.