A Planet Fitness member noticed a transgender woman using the women’s locker room, she complained. Planet Fitness responded by cancelling the complainer’s membership, MLive is reporting .
On February 28, Yvette Cormier went into the women’s locker room at a Planet Fitness location in Midland, Michigan. She says she saw “a man” in the locker room.
“I was blocked, because a man was standing there. It freaked me out because, why is a man in here?”
When Cormier took her complaints to the front desk, she says she was told that the gym member in question identifies as a woman and is allowed to use the women’s locker room.
That explanation didn’t satisfy Cormier, who then began complaining to other women in the gym that “a man” was using the women’s locker room, according to The New Orleans Times-Picayune .
Eventually, she got a call from Planet Fitness’ headquarters, telling her that her actions toward the transgender woman violated the company’s judgment-free zone policy and she was no longer welcome at the gym.
Planet Fitness, which uses the phrase “judgment-free zone” as a slogan, allows transgender people to use whichever locker room that corresponds to their sexual identity. The company issued a statement about the decision.
“Planet Fitness is committed to creating a non-intimidating, welcoming environment for our members. Our gender identity non-discrimination policy states that members and guests may use all gym facilities based on their sincere self-reported gender identity. The manner in which this member expressed her concerns about the policy exhibited behavior that management at the Midland club deemed inappropriate and disruptive to other members, which is a violation of the membership agreement and as a result her membership was cancelled.”
Under a proposed bill in Florida, according to this Inquisitr report, a transgender person could face criminal charges for using a bathroom that doesn’t correspond to their sex at birth. It would even punish businesses – such as Planet Fitness – for allowing a trans person to choose their own bathroom.
As for Ms. Cormier, she believes that she is the victim in this situation.
“I feel it’s kind of one sided. I feel like I am the one who is being punished.”
[Images courtesy of: Algon Nadie , Campus Reform ]
