‘Such an indignity’: Trans woman ordered out of nightclub bathroom

A prominent Melbourne trans woman who wrote the rules on transgender and gender diverse inclusion at live music venues has been ordered out of a women’s bathroom at a popular Fitzroy nightclub.

Musican and academic Simona Castricum said a guard at Yah Yah’s told her “You’re a man, go to the men’s bathroom now” as she attempted to use the bathroom at the Smith Street venue early on Monday morning.

Yah Yah’s co-owner James Young confirmed the incident took place, describing it as a “very embarrassing” mistake that should never have happened.

Simona Castricum performs at Golden Plains in 2020.Credit:Suzanne Phoenix

“This male security guard stood in the doorway of the women’s bathroom and pointed at me and yelled at me quite aggressively ‘out of the bathroom’,” she said.

“I said, ‘I’m a woman, I’m a trans woman’.”

Ms Castricum said the guard continued to tell her that she was a man and that she needed to leave before another woman came to her aid.

“It really is such an indignity to have your gender questioned in front of an entire bathroom full of people,” she said. “It’s also really frightening.”

Ms Castricum, who wrote live music venue inclusion guidelines for Music Victoria, said the bar’s management and staff had apologised to her and agreed to do better.

“Yah Yah’s has obviously got a problem,” she said. “It’s incumbent on the management to make sure that the message gets down to security.”

Mr Young said the incident should never have happened.

“It’s embarrassing for us,” he said.

“Yah Yah’s and Thursgay is one of the best practice venues in Melbourne and in Australia.“

Mr Young said Ms Castricum had been denied access by an inexperienced guard despite the fact the club has a gender-neutral bathroom policy on Thursday nights.

“The guard was reprimanded and he apologised to the guest,” Mr Young said.

“Simona is a very welcome guest.“

Ms Castricum said she didn’t believe Yah Yah’s should be boycotted or Smith Street avoided.

“Rather than a name and shame, cancel [or] call-out, I’m looking at Yah Yah’s to lead by example, commit to education and accountability and change their culture so that any trans and gender diverse person on any night will feel safe as the venue moves forward,” she said.

“Not just on queer nights. Every night is queer and trans night in Smith Street.”

Ms Castricum said it wasn’t the first time she had experienced transphobia at the venue, which was the location of a sexual assault in 2015.

Mr Young said the entire staff will now receive further training from Transgender Victoria, the state’s leading body for trans and gender diverse advocacy.

He said it was important for all workplaces to regularly review their LGBTQIA+ policies and training.

“It’s vital, and not just at workplaces that happen to be running a gay night, it’s all workplaces, it’s universal training,” he said.

“This is a very embarrassing incident for me and the bar, and we have to welcome it as a learning experience with something very positive to come out of it.”

The guard in question will return to work after training.

In an email seen by The Age, Yah Yah’s managing director Nicholas Jones said he was “not satisfied” with the incident and “would like to prevent similar incidents from occurring again”.

Victorian Pride Lobby said in a statement it was deeply disappointed to hear of the incident, which occurred on International Women’s Day and just after pride events, including Mardi Gras and ChillOut Festival.

“Smith Street is one of Melbourne’s treasured LGBTIQA+ nightlife precincts and it is up to the entire community to take responsibility for creating venues, businesses and spaces that are safe, inclusive and responsive to trans and gender-diverse people and all members of the LGBTIQA+ community,” it said.

“We call for venues, businesses and spaces to expand their efforts on LGBTIQA+ inclusion on Smith Street, in the City of Yarra and across the state.”

The statement, which was sent to Yarra’s councillors, put forward some recommendations, including training, changes to bathrooms and displaying transgender posters and flags.

Yarra mayor Gabrielle de Vietri said the council would work with its newly established LGBTIQ+ advisory group to engage local businesses and venues to ensure trans and gender diverse people were safe, respected and valued.

“We are dismayed and disappointed to hear of a transphobic incident having taken place in the City of Yarra,” she said.

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