Well-known gym chain Planet Fitness refused to retract its decision to ban and revoke the entry of a user who publicly exposed a "man" shaving in the women's restrooms.
The gym's statement noted that while some members may not feel comfortable sharing spaces such as restrooms with people of a different gender, "this discomfort is not a reason to deny access to the transgender member."
The whole controversy comes after Patricia Silva, a gym user, detailed in a video the situation she experienced at the premises in Alaska. Silva recounted the experience of seeing a "man" shaving in her locker room in front of a 12-year-old girl:.
I just came out of Planet Fitness. There is a man shaving in the women's restroom ... He is a spiritual being who has a human experience. He doesn't like his gender, so he wants to be a woman, but I'm not comfortable with him shaving in my bathroom. I just thought I would say it out loud.
‘LGB’ restrooms and locker rooms
The woman recounted the experience in a video on Facebook in which she revealed that she told the man that he should use the male locker room and he responded that the bathrooms and locker rooms were "LGB."
I went to Planet Fitness... I went into the bathroom and there was a MAN shaving.... I looked at him, I said 'hey'... he looked up... and I said, 'You're a man shaving in the women's bathroom, and I'm not okay with that.' He replied... 'Well, I'm LGB...' Whatever... however, I told him, 'You're a MAN and you're invading my space!' I wanted to argue to justify why he can be there.... I walked away...
I came out of the locker room and asked aloud to the front desk, 'Are you aware that there is a MAN shaving in the women's restroom?..... I disagree with that.' The two men standing at the desk, bowed their heads. down and tail between their legs! As I was walking out the door... behind me, a woman yells 'it's a girl'.... I yelled back 'it's a man!’
Silva revealed that the gym canceled his membership and filed a police report alleging a violation of gym policy by taking photographs and/or videos in restrooms and locker rooms:
The Planet Fitness saga continues ... Day two.... Saving the kids ... I received a call this morning at 8:55 AM from Samantha at Planet Fitness announcing that they have decided to cancel my membership instead of protecting girls and women over 12 who enter the women's locker room from men with a penis. Instead, they defended the man with the penis, who was shaving in the women's locker room
