Gym agrees to no self ID

Contrary to what they've publicly stated in 2019 (inews.co.uk/news/uk/david-lloyd-gyms-trans-gender-certificate-267576), David Lloyds DO allow self-identification into their changing rooms. As with the majority of UK gyms, they follow UK Active guidelines (www.ukactive.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/ukactive-Transgender-Guide.pdf) which state that:

1. Individuals will not be asked and do not need to declare their trans status, GRC or no GRC (Obviously, because that would open DL up to direct discrimination cases, which is why that 2019 statement/policy is legally vacuous.)
2. But if a club user makes David Lloyds staff aware that they think someone is using the incorrect changing room, then the Duty Manager may "Ask to speak to the individual in private."
3. If said individual is unhappy using gender neutral changing rooms (assuming the club has one to offer) then he/she is permitted to use the whichever is "consistent with their gender appearance".

So, as per usual, it's two things:

1. How female you LOOK (potentially a penis-haver), NOT about whether you are LEGALLY female (still, potentially a penis-haver because UK law is bonkers) or - more importantly - ACTUALLY female (practically by definition, not a penis-haver).
2. How happy or (more pertinently) not happy the individual is to respect the safety, privacy and dignity of the majority in the space he/she seeks to use - a majority whose counter-opinion about his/her use of the space will either not be sought or actively ignored.

Anyway, just a little clarification for those of you who, like me, were misled on what the David Lloyd's policy actually is when signing up.

(I thought, though, you'd find it amusing to know that they do apparently deploy the Equalities Act exemption in hiring specifically legally male/female cleaning staff for respective male/female changing rooms because... of safeguarding. Ha. Put that in a Christmas Cracker, why don'tcha?!)

Following with interest.

Gyms really need to address this issue properly and decide how they want to provide for their customers.

The thing that really worries me is the design of the changing rooms often make them the kind of environment you really don't want to share with an unknown male. Showers with flimsy curtains and open plan changing (one cubicle if you're lucky) ; away from the gym floor down corridors, through soundproof doors. This has been my experience of both fairly high spec expensive gyms and budget 24 hour gyms with virtually no staff.

Which chain is it? Virgin told me in 2020 that they allowed self id and head office confirmed it. I left after being a member 14 yes. Pure gym also tweeted they did last year.
Bsnnatynes do not allow self if and neither do David Lloyd as far as I know.
mum not sure of others.
Please do let us know the chain and their response though please. I will only use gyms which do not allow self id into the female changing rooms.

Good luck! I think there are one or two gyms which operate in line with the EA and its exceptions. There's no basis whatever for 'single gender' facilities, only for single sex ones.