For any Puregym regulars....

[EmpressWitchDoesntBurn]

They've stated on Twitter that their communal changing rooms are NOT single-sex and that any woman who wants to be sure of not changing with men should use the gender-neutral toilets. So that's nice.

Thread here: twitter.com/Albawitch_xx/status/1418506009815945216?s=20

@PronounssheRa

God that's grim, any man can use the female changing areas if that is where they feel most comfortable. If women don't like it they can use the accessible facilities.

So women lose out, then people with disabilities lose out, while men have the freedom to go anywhere they choose.

Not 'facilities' but 'toilet'.

Great. So you can lock yourself in a stinky loo to change (or breastfeed - out gum used to have mum and baby classes).

Classy

So males get one changing room where they can have privacy & dignity, one changing room where they can be around naked females, & access to the non-gender toilet.

Females just get to queue for the toilet.

I was a PureGym member ages ago, I don't know if it's changed but at my old gym the changing rooms were locked when the gym was unstaffed overnight (no access even with your pin) and only the single accessible toilets with changing were available for anyone to use... Two individual toilet/changing areas that opened out onto the main workout areas.
I went a few times late at night and it was ok actually. That was a city centre location though, and so there were always plenty of people around even up to about 1 am.

I have a bigger problem in the daytime with the communal female change area with showers where the doors are that sort of frosted glass that you can still sort of see through!

I'm glad I don't go there anymore, it's uncomfortable enough showering and changing with little privacy from other women... I couldn't do it if there were males allowed in too.

Or be naked around naked males, of course (no thanks, not in a million years).

Unless, I suppose, all these gyms have enclosed cubicles each with a shower & changing area in them?

that any woman who wants to be sure of not changing with men should use the gender-neutral toilets.
What? Isn't the point of gender neutral that anyone can use them? So the women's can legitimately have men in them, and if women don't want this they can use the gender neutral ones which... don't 😳🤯
I don't understand??

So they do at least have individual showers? And changing areas in the accessible toilets?

The one I was a member of had just a normal door into the changing areas. The shower area was all frosted glass cubicles and opened out onto the pool area.

@GreyhoundG1rl

that any woman who wants to be sure of not changing with men should use the gender-neutral toilets. What? Isn't the point of gender neutral that anyone can use them? So the women's can legitimately have men in them, and if women don't want this they can use the gender neutral ones which... don't 😳🤯 I don't understand??

It's a single fully enclosed toilet, used by both sexes. They're saying if women want privacy away from males, they can get changed in the loo.

Oh, I see. The shitebags 😡

For those who have never been a member of these gyms - there are individual shower but with frosted doors 😳 and there is no individual changing rooms.

@BigGreenOlives

So actually women would be safer using the men’s changing rooms as the decent men would be in there.

Exactly this. Why is every bloody business so frightened of basic safeguarding

Here’s a gym that knows it’s stuff

It’s ok people!

You can use the rooms according to the gender box you rocked when you registered at the gym (they have said so on twitter). So that’s ok then.

I think Virgin also do this. Which is why I didn’t join them. Even though the one near to me has a nice pool...

I contacted them years ago about this and was told I'd need to use the disabled toilets if I had a problem with anyone who self-identified as a woman using the female changing rooms. I did a bit of back and forth with them asking the usual questions such as "So if a bloke, who looks like a bloke decides to use the female changing room and wander around with his penis out that is okay" I was told yes he could use whichever changing room he was most comfortable with was the one he should use. I voted with my feet and cancelled my membership.
I would suggest any members of any gym should contact their gym to ask the same sort of questions (even if you are not going to cancel it is important for them to state and defend their policy and to realise that women do care about men identifying into their single-sex areas).

@Hardchoices

For those who have never been a member of these gyms - there are individual shower but with frosted doors 😳 and there is no individual changing rooms.

I was a member for a while. I remember a line of us queuing for the showers in our towels, & then walking back past the queue to get dry & change in the communal area.

@ifIwerenotanandroid

So they do at least have individual showers? And changing areas in the accessible toilets?

The one I was a member of had showers with frosted doors however the changing area was communal (and very close changing after classes) and the loos were off the changing area. The "gender neutral loos" meant the disabled loo (NB singular, there was only one) because this is the only loo not in a male or female changing room.

Yes - ours had no changing rooms - all open plan. What are they thinking???

So can I go in the men's 🤔. I'll just say I'm more comfortable there....

Me and the girls would happily take up a bench in there.

How long till we were kicked out you think? 😂

Oh my god - so this is a gym that is open but unstaffed overnight so you need a PIN to get in the changing room... But when they sign up anyone can choose whether they want the male or female changing rooms? In an unstaffed place?

WTAF? Sounds like a fucking predator's dream scenario!

I dare you...

@Jackgrealishscurtains

Oh my god - so this is a gym that is open but unstaffed overnight so you need a PIN to get in the changing room... But when they sign up anyone can choose whether they want the male or female changing rooms? In an unstaffed place?

WTAF? Sounds like a fucking predator's dream scenario!

How are their lawyers NOT screaming the place down??

WTAF? Sounds like a fucking predator's dream scenario!

The only real protection women have against men in such a scenario is if a male entering the female changing rooms - as can be observed from external CCTV recordings - is in itself evidence of wrongdoing.

If you're going to say men can freely enter the no-CCTV female spaces, so it turns into a "he said / she said" about what happens in there, then women are at great risk.

(See also the Yaniv versus Amy Hamm "harrassment" claim, and the whole Wi Spa clusterfuck, but at least those were in staffed facilities. Imagine them unstaffed).

So can I go in the men's 🤔. I'll just say I'm more comfortable there....

Man Friday needs a resurrection