Hijacked Sanctuaries: Reclaiming Plus-Size Women’s Spaces from Male Invasion

From sanctuaries to stages for male validation, our spaces are being invaded—and it’s time to push back.

Since the pandemic—though this trend began earlier and has only intensified—it’s become painfully clear how spaces once created for plus-size women to celebrate our bodies and find flattering clothing have been infiltrated by men pretending to be women. This is not a trivial annoyance; it’s part of a calculated campaign of female erasure, cloaked in the rhetoric of “inclusivity.” Companies that once catered to women’s needs are now prioritizing male fantasies of womanhood, betraying the very women who built their brands.

Take Lane Bryant, a brand I once patronized regularly. My first job after college came with a wardrobe lovingly provided by my mother—business attire from Lane Bryant that made me feel confident and capable. For years, I was a loyal customer for all my work-wear needs. But that loyalty ended in 2021 when I saw that Lane Bryant’s Pride campaign chose to elevate a male drag queen—not bisexual or lesbian women from their actual customer base—as the face of their inclusivity efforts. Instead of celebrating the diversity of real women, they erased us entirely, replacing our lived experiences with a caricature of womanhood.

This pattern is not confined to marketing. Online reviews, meant to provide practical insights for women, have been hijacked by men in garish makeup and ill-fitting wigs. These exhibitionists turn review sections into personal stages for validation, undermining their purpose and forcing women to navigate a grotesque display of male entitlement. What should be a supportive and helpful space for women has devolved into yet another platform for the colonization of women’s spaces.

Even in-person shopping can be compromised. Years ago, in a conversation with a trans-identified male on the topic of shopping at Torrid, I raised concerns about his advocacy for male employees, regardless of how the male employee happened to self-identify, in the changing room area—a space where women’s privacy should be inviolable. The conversation quickly turned contentious and I was branded a “bigot.” After ruminating on it for a week that same man referenced our prior conversation, saying he was “about to get [me]” that day. Imagine a big, burly man in women’s clothing feeling compelled to violence based on me—a tall-ish woman, but still a woman—simply advocating for women-only spaces. Spaces we’re now being coerced into sharing with such men who demand access. Is this the “progress” we’re expected to applaud?

What’s even more troubling is the strategic exploitation of marginalized groups—such as incarcerated women and Black women in addition to plus-size women—to justify the normalization of transgender-identified males invading women’s spaces. During Georgia Senate Special Committee on the Protection of Women’s Sports meetings this fall, advocates of gender ideology argued that excluding trans-identified males from women’s sports would disproportionately harm Black and brown women. As a Black woman, I found the argument lazy, offensive, and a blatant misuse of Black and Brown women’s struggles to silence discourse. Worse, it distracts from the core issue: males, regardless of their self-identification, have no place in women’s spaces.

This encroachment isn’t accidental. By targeting the most maligned demographics, gender ideology has laid the groundwork to normalize the invasion of all women’s spaces. The narrative is clear: if men pretending to be women can dominate spaces for incarcerated women, Black women, or plus-size women, it becomes easier to argue for their inclusion everywhere. If challenged, proponents will point to these earlier conquests as proof that resistance is futile.

Corporations and activists pushing this agenda expect plus-size women to continue supporting them while they erase us. But we have the power to resist. Downvote exhibitionist reviews, report inappropriate content, and hold companies accountable. Most importantly, refuse to support businesses that prioritize male fantasies over women’s dignity.

Radical feminism demands that we stand firm against female erasure. Plus-size women have fought hard to carve out spaces where we feel seen, safe, and celebrated. Let’s not allow these spaces to be hijacked. For the sake of all women, let’s hold the line.

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For a deeper dive into how gender ideology disproportionately harms Black women and further erases our voices, read the WDI USA Black Women’s Caucus Statement Against Gender Ideology—a statement I was honored to co-author. We outline the urgent need to defend women’s rights and reject harmful ideologies that exploit and erase us.