Planet Fitness Transgender

[Ben]

While they're a private business, and can do what they like, this would be a good reason for me to not give them my business.

One of their locations apparently made accommodations for a male who "identifies" as a woman to use the women's locker room. I don't blame the transgender person at all here, based on the story, as they asked first and didn't apparently make any kind of big deal about it. The Planet Fitness rep said, "You use the locker room that corresponds with how you are dressed,".

 I just don't know what Planet Fitness was thinking. Why would you, as a for-profit business, choose to make a hundred people very uncomfortable, or given that it's a male in the women's locker room, perhaps even frightened, to accommodate that one person on this kind of an issue?

If they want to be accommodating, shouldn't they then do something like add a third "unisex" locker room, and make it available to anyone of any persuasion that wants to use it?

http://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2015/03/transgender_woman_says_she_onl.html#incart_story_package

[vaskidmark]

Is she a member of a protected class?

How come the gym went back on it's decision?

Sklodowska said she asked about the locker room policy regarding transgender individuals before entering the women's locker room.

"You use the locker room that corresponds with how you are dressed," she said the Planet Fitness employee told her.

Or did that employee discove they were not authorized to make that sort of decision?

Cormier has said the transgender woman she saw in the locker room "looked like a man" and was wearing men's clothing.

According to Sklodowska, she wore leggings and a baggy t-shirt during both trips to the gym. She said many people tell her she looks like a man, and she could see why Cormier would see her body structure as masculine.

"It's obvious, even from the back," Sklodowska said.

To me it's not so much the clothing and general body shape as it is the manner of dress and how one carries oneself.  Bruce Jenner, as an example, is still pretty much carrying himself like a man, and dresses more like a man than a woman.  This in no way should be read as suggesting she needs to dress/carry herself like a drag queen.  I'm thinking more like Dr. Marci Bowers http://www.metro.us/news/photos-12-famous-transgender-celebrities-and-public-figures/tmWnet---0dM9nzhttuSE/ than any of the rest of those listed.

stay safe.

[MillCreek]

My first thought to wonder is if the business is subject to 'non-discrimination' laws or regulations that include gender identity; and failure to accommodate that is a violation of those same laws and regulations.

[Ben]

My first thought to wonder is if the business is subject to 'non-discrimination' laws or regulations that include gender identity; and failure to accommodate that is a violation of those same laws and regulations.

Which to me, would call the application of those laws into question. If they want to have the laws, fine, that's a separate debate. They should, however, be applied with some common sense. I'm not sure that any of the parents here would be happy if a naked man was hanging out in the same locker room as their 12-year old daughter, whether that man believed he was a woman at heart or not. Not that there was any nudity in the incident in the OP, but that nudity will happen seems to be a foregone conclusion to a non-discrimination law applied in this manner.

Certainly after surgery, it would all be moot, but beforehand, as long as all the parts are physically still there, it's simply not appropriate in current society.

[bedlamite]

I'm going to forward this to a friend of mine that had problems canceling his planet fitness membership.

[castle key]

While they're a private business, and can do what they like...

Except for bakeries, florists, and wedding photographers......

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

We have that problem at the local college. Male in ladies locker room at same time with local high school swim team. It's a problem


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[Viking]

I'm going to forward this to a friend of mine that had problems canceling his planet fitness membership.

Setting off the Lunk Alarm repeatedly might do the trick.

[French G.]

There's a Crossfit joke in here somewhere, gotta be.

[charby]

I'm surprised more high school boys don't try the transgender shtick so they can gain access to the girls locker room.  

[Hawkmoon]

If they want to be accommodating, shouldn't they then do something like add a third "unisex" locker room, and make it available to anyone of any persuasion that wants to use it?

I agree with you up to this point, but on this I think you're short one locker room. Wouldn't they need one for men who think they're men, one for women who think they're women, one for men who think they're women, and a fourth for women who think they're men? (A la Chaz -- formerly Chastity -- Bono.)

[Jamisjockey]

Unisex restroom/changing room.  Private floor to ceiling stalls.  Eliminate urinals.  Sinks can be shared space. 
Having lockable private shower rooms would eliminate the issue there, too.
It's not a hard problem to solve, if the business wants to invest in solving it.

My real issue is when people are told they will accommodate group x, y, or z or face court or government sanctions.  Freedom of association should be one of the most basic tenants of freedom.

[roo_ster]

Not sure why the majority of sane folk ought to indulge the irrational demands of the mentally ill.

[Jamisjockey]

Not sure why the majority of sane folk ought to be forced to indulge the irrational demands of the mentally ill.

FTFY.

The real issue is coercion and force.

[vaskidmark]

DSM-IV mentally ill or bat**it crazy mentally ill?

And remember that we are dealing with a doubly-protected class - sex and disbility.

stay safe.

[Scout26]

The ex- went through something like this when she was working in the office for UHC.  There was a "male" who identified as "female".  He was going through the hormone treatment but still had Mr Winky.

So in order for his/her/its feelz not to be offended the other 60-70 women in the office had to have their feelz made very uncomfortable by having he/she/it, share their bathroom.

And nothing could be done, because of both UHC policy, and the (then) newly signed by Gov Quinn(D-eranged) law regarding same sex marriage, et al.

[lee n. field]

Not sure why the majority of sane folk ought to indulge the irrational demands of the mentally ill.

That. 

Wikipedia, he say:

A delusion is a belief held with strong conviction despite superior evidence to the contrary.[1] As a pathology, it is distinct from a belief based on false or incomplete information, confabulation, dogma, illusion, or other effects of perception.

[KD5NRH]

I think I'll just stick with Anytime Fitness and their private shower rooms.

[MillCreek]

The ex- went through something like this when she was working in the office for UHC.  There was a "male" who identified as "female".  He was going through the hormone treatment but still had Mr Winky.

So in order for his/her/its feelz not to be offended the other 60-70 women in the office had to have their feelz made very uncomfortable by having he/she/it, share their bathroom.

And nothing could be done, because of both UHC policy, and the (then) newly signed by Gov Quinn(D-eranged) law regarding same sex marriage, et al.

We had a similar situation at one of my hospitals involving a member of the nursing staff who was in transition.  There was some initial wailing and gnashing of teeth and some union complaints, but it settled down quickly.

[Balog]

While they're a private business, and can do what they like, this would be a good reason for me to not give them my business.

One of their locations apparently made accommodations for a male who "identifies" as a woman to use the women's locker room. I don't blame the transgender person at all here, based on the story, as they asked first and didn't apparently make any kind of big deal about it. The Planet Fitness rep said, "You use the locker room that corresponds with how you are dressed,".

I just don't know what Planet Fitness was thinking. Why would you, as a for-profit business, choose to make a hundred people very uncomfortable, or given that it's a male in the women's locker room, perhaps even frightened, to accommodate that one person on this kind of an issue?

If they want to be accommodating, shouldn't they then do something like add a third "unisex" locker room, and make it available to anyone of any persuasion that wants to use it?

http://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2015/03/transgender_woman_says_she_onl.html#incart_story_package

Afraid of getting sued like a baker/florist/photographer who refuses to work a gay wedding?

[HankB]

Not sure why the majority of sane folk ought to indulge the irrational demands of the mentally ill.

We spend far too much time and effort trying to accommodate the feelings of the lunatic fringe.

[Scout26]

I wish I could find the cartoon of the person who is talking to their counselor saying things like "I identify as a cisnormative male when i first wake up the morning, but by the time I go to work I identify as a transexual polyamourous lesbian, then...on and on and on... finally in the the second to last panel the the counselor says "Pull down your pants".  The last panel shows a "rear view" of said confused individual with her pants down and the counselor stating "You are a Woman."

 

[Boomhauer]

We spend far too much time and effort trying to accommodate the feelings of the lunatic fringe.

We spend far too much time and effort trying to accommodate EVERYBODY'S feelings. We don't need to treat everybody like a special snowflake. It would end a lot of "Look at me! I'm special because of <insert claimed BS here>" type bullshit.

Harden the *expletive deleted*ck up, America.

[Regolith]

We spend far too much time and effort trying to accommodate EVERYBODY'S feelings. We don't need to treat everybody like a special snowflake. It would end a lot of "Look at me! I'm special because of <insert claimed BS here>" type bullshit.

Harden the *expletive deleted*ck up, America.

Someone need's to change your handle to "Chopper"....

[Boomhauer]

Someone need's to change your handle to "Chopper"....

I love the Chopper Reid skits