Women only gym. Am I being a killjoy?

Some of you are misunderstanding the Equality Act. The owners of the gym can offer their services to females only, and there is a section in the Equality Act that specifically allows for transwomen to be excluded from women’s services/resources that are single sex.

I think you are missing the point being made. This gym could be single sex under the EA but isn't. It could also be single sex but still offer specific accomodation to certain groups of trans women (for example those who've had SRS or those who have a GRC would seem like defensible places to draw the line).

What it can't do is just exclude some men solely on the basis of their belief that they are men.

They have absolutely no idea do they!

Fools.

Mama fit ffs.

In normal times a male relative frequents a gym owned by a Muslim man in a predominantly Asian area of a major city. The owner had loads of enquiries from local women who wanted something female-only, so when an empty premises came up nearby he bought it and is converting it. If just one male uses this gym it will ruin his business and ruin a facility which has been developed in demand from local women. I'd feel really sorry for the owner.

I’m assuming that you also think single sex prisons, refuges, hospital wards are also retrogressive ghettos?

Name sucks.

I go to a female gym.. i love it.if a male workman is coming in it is anniunced.

It is my happy place.

My gym used to offer classes like 'the little black dress' workout or 'bikini fit'. Men weren't banned from the classes, but they certainly didn't go to them! Funnily enough, they were among the hardest workouts I ever did, and I used to go to boot camp and circuit, which were attended by males.

I would assume that Mamafit had an on site creche and workout classes you could do with your baby. It's ridiculous to call a general female-only gym 'mamafit'.

Sorry I meant to say, I don't know if Jane Jarvis is on here!

Yes, Mama Fit is not a great name for a general 'female only' gym - I have seen 'Mama' fitness type things before, but they are specifically targeting at new mothers who can bring their babies along etc, not just general females.

And I don't know who Jane Jarvis is, but she has written a cracking post on there pointing out that they are potentially breaking the law if they say it is for 'females' but its actually mixed sex, especially as they appear to be refusing the publicly publish the policy on trans women!

Name is awful. Basic premise of women's only gyms as well as women only swimming sessions is one sadly I think something to support. Just because one does not seem well run does not negate the idea.

I prefer not to make my feminism about adding extra pressures on women who are often already overburdened. “Be strong, not weak” sounds rather demanding to me. Not to mention not all women wanting single sex spaces for exercise and leisure will be or consider themselves feminists. Anyway I think feminism is about liberation for all women, not only the ones who “deserve it” by being “strong enough”

Bang on.

Trying to ignore the biological differences between females and males is not feminism, in order to truly liberate women from the patriarchy we need to recognise that men and women are different and go forward with the premise that that men and women should be equal despite their differences .

Mama Gin?

Shame they didn’t go with Mama Gym then their whole business model could’ve been like one of those Only Connect sequence rounds.

Yes to smaller plates for upping the weights btw.

I’m intrigued by the Mama thing. On the website for the gym it says one of the men previously had a mobile cocktail bar type business called Mama Gin.

I’m not near the gym but I wouldn’t use it thanks to the shutting down of perfectly valid questions about biological males.

Some of you are misunderstanding the Equality Act.

The owners of the gym can offer their services to females only, and there is a section in the Equality Act that specifically allows for transwomen to be excluded from women’s services/resources that are single sex.

I just googled out of interest and Curves is owned by a man, and men can be employed by franchise owners. Clearly loads of women weren't put off by that. Although they should have been put off by it being a bit shit.

Personally for me the fact that two men run it would put me off if I was looking for a women's only gym, seems a bit weird!

You know what I think might work well for a lot of women? Instead of trying to create ´women only’ sessions, unisex gyms could create more sessions aimed at women’s needs without expressly forbidding men from attending. So like a weights for total beginners session run by a female trainer. Perhaps with references to avoiding injuries to your pelvic floor or abdominal muscles so it’s clear women are welcome and expected. It probably wouldn’t be attractive to transwomen trying to make a point because they probably wouldn’t want to lift weights and risk building up bulky un-feminine muscles. Some men who are happy to be considered total beginners might want to join too but if a large majority are women that would probably create a comfortable space for many women anyway. Likewise a postnatal exercise session advertised along with info about the gym’s crèche - or including babies into in the exercices. They could also run a separate session aimed at new parents that could include Dads too if there was a demand for it. - That might include more exercises involving the baby and discussions about posture and baby carriers and things like that. Having both makes it clear one is really aimed at postpartum women exclusively (I imagine any interested postpartum transmen would be welcome too). You don’t necessarily need to expressly forbid men from joining the session to create an environment dominated by women. Obviously this doesn’t fix the issue for women who really need a single sex space for religious or other reasons.

[quote HypnoRuler]@dworky

Lol, disagree.

Im sure most people at gym want to work out and not waste time.

Also, generalising like that is in itself sexist. How would you feel if men generalised about women?[/quote]
If you're happy at your usual mixed-sex gym, just continue to go there once they reopen.

The name is giving me the boak. Would they call a males-only gym Dada Fit?

If he is the one who comes up with the business idea that serves a targeted niche...I don't get the problem. If there are women doing it too then great, if there aren't then some women should get in there and make a killing!

The name doesn't appeal to me. Mamafit says its purpose is an environment for women wanting to lose post-pregnancy weight. And no, I don't want to justify why I think that. I'm a potential customer, I'm not obliged to research them thoroughly before not signing up and committing a direct debit to them.

Their aim is to attract customers, and the market will determine whether I'm an outlier in being put off by the name.

What I want from a women's only gym is a weightlifting area that provides fractional plates. Being female, I can't just increase my personal best 2.5kg at a time indefinitely. After a certain point, I have to work for every additional half a kilo on the bench press, and I need tiny weights to add to the bar, to faciliate that!

@dworky

Lol, disagree.

Im sure most people at gym want to work out and not waste time.

Also, generalising like that is in itself sexist. How would you feel if men generalised about women?

I don’t like men using the term “Mama” unless they’re talking to their mums.

Anyway, I used to be a member of a gym that had women’s days and men’s days. It had a sauna and the showers were very basic (no doors) which made sense to keep it single sex.

It was a brilliant gym. Sadly it closed as the new owner wasn’t very business minded or as well liked as the old owners (it was basically a family business).

*MaMa
*
What about ladies who aren't able to attend if men are there, for religious reasons? Or women and girls who have been victims of rape or assault by a man? I get you may be ok with men around you in an environment but not everyone is the same.

I say this as a gym addict and a frequent in the free weights section (not many ladies there full stop).