Trans Woman Stands Her Ground After Stadium Bathroom Incident in Cape Town

Taswald Ruiters, a transgender woman from Cape Town, refused to back down after she was discriminated against by a security official because she used the women’s bathroom at the Green Point Athletic Stadium.

Ruiters, a small business owner from Eerste River, attended the stadium on Wednesday, 19 February, to support her sibling in a school athletics event.

She told MambaOnline that she initially used the women’s bathroom without incident. However, about an hour later, while buying snacks with a friend, a man approached them and quietly spoke to her friend.

Threatened with Removal

As they walked back to the track, Ruiters’ friend apologetically informed her that the man had warned her that Ruiters was not allowed to use the women’s bathroom again and that if she did, he would have her thrown out of the stadium.

Shocked, Ruiters immediately returned to the foyer to confront the man. “I said to him, ‘So I heard there’s a situation.’ I asked him if anyone had complained or said anything, and he said no. Then he actually giggled and said to me, ‘Look at you, you’re a man.’”

When Ruiters asked him to provide a copy of the stadium’s rules and regulations, he claimed he was the manager of the bathrooms and had the final say.

“He said that if I was too rude, he would have me thrown out and that I must use the men’s bathroom,” claims Ruiters, who started recording the incident on her phone.

She further alleges that the man was disrespectful and that she felt unsafe, prompting her to call the police.

Police Fail to Respond

“I waited for the police for close to three hours. I called them four times, and they did not arrive,” says Ruiters. “It was bad because it happened in front of scholars, teachers, staff, security—everyone was there—and it was just a shock to my soul.”

Ruiters points out that the stadium is a public facility operated by the City of Cape Town. “As far as I know, when using government toilets, there are no restrictions stating that a trans woman cannot go into a female toilet.”

However, the City has stated that the venue was rented for the event by Western Province Athletics, which was responsible for the security services on the day. Ruiters has reached out to the organisation about the incident but has yet to receive a response.

Backlash and Death Threats

After posting videos of the incident (watch below) on her Facebook page, Ruiters says she received death threats.

“It is scary, so I do fear going out in public, but I refuse to stay a victim,” she asserts. “The trans community experiences so much worse on a daily basis, so I will talk about it over and over until we get change and our voices are heard.”

Ruiters adds: “As a country, we have a lot to learn but as long as people hang onto the stigma that has been placed on us as a LGBTIQ+ community, I fear that I will one day become a statistic of ‘yet another transgender woman killed’.”

Call for Accountability

Liberty Matthyse, Executive Director of Gender Dynamix, a Cape Town-based transgender and gender-diverse rights group, told MambaOnline: “Given what is happening in the USA and on social media, people feel more emboldened now to undermine the right to gender identity and freedom of expression.”

Matthyse stressed, however, that South Africans must recognise the country’s legal protections.

“We have a Constitution that protects all of us against unfair discrimination, especially marginalised and excluded groups. When people and institutions act against our constitutional and legal protections, they must be held accountable for their actions.”

They added, “We are proud of Taswald for standing her ground and asserting her human rights.”