Woman loses gym membership after complaining about transgender man in changing room

Metro.co.uk | March 8, 2014

Yvette Cormier said she was ‘freaked out’ by Carlotta Sklodowska’s presence in the Planet Fitness changing room and spoke about it to other users.

Cormier, from Midland, Michigan, told M Live: ‘I was blocked because a man was standing there.

‘It freaked me out because, why is a man in here?’

Carlotta said she entered the women’s locker room to hang up her coat and purse, and then to retrieve the items after her workout.

She said: ‘I’m not actually a member, I was there as a guest of one of my friends.’

Sklodowska said 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,’ she said.

The Midland resident said she uses public bathrooms all the time and has never had any issues previously.

‘No one has complained yet,’ she said.

The company said it acted because Cormier’s comments breached anti-discrimination rules.

A statement from the gym firm said: ‘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.’

Source: http://metro.co.uk/2015/03/08/woman-has-gym-membership-cancelled-after-complaining-about-transgender-woman-in-locker-room-5094097/?ito=facebook