Non Binary Gym Changing Rooms

[NevermindNelson]

I’ve just had an email from a gym I use explaining that their changing rooms are going to become gender neutral. I don’t even know where to start to reply. The email states that they’re proud to do this.

I want to reply with the reasons that I’m cancelling my membership, but all I’ve got so far is, “What, seriously?”

Maybe I should just send this - Just under 90 per cent of complaints regarding changing room sexual assaults, voyeurism and harassment are about incidents in unisex facilities. Because they have made the changing rooms unisex, haven’t they?

Edited to correct the term as ‘gender neutral’

I was going to suggest a leafleting campaign. Leave them around the changing rooms (which presumably don’t have CCTV) to make everyone aware of the consequences of this new policy.

This is just a way for pervy men to oggle under the guise of equality.

This is ridiculous. Glad you are planning to leave and tell them why (though what a shame you have to leave and find another gym).

I think they’ll find their membership dropping pretty rapidly once this change is enacted.

Some I’m sure will stay because they’ll want to demonstrate how very inclusive and modern and groovy they are, but what’s the betting the majority of them will stick to the original rules- ie, the men will still go to what was originally the men’s room and the women will stick to their original space. Awful though that none of them will have the right to object if someone of the opposite sex starts using their space.

This is bonkers. Trying to tie this issue to Palestine is as utterly mad as those trying to link their pro-queer stance to Palestine.

And the typical Pro-Palestinian face-turning from the experiences of Jewish women and children ( who are recounting quite clearly the threat they feel and experience in the UK at the moment) could make you look quite anti-Semitic.

I would have thought most men would be horrified with this as well! My dh and ds would be for sure!

I agree that men will be uncomfortable too.
My husband refused to use a gender neutral (their description) loo, as there were teenage girls in it. He's been taught not to invade their space- rightly!

Good luck OP. You've had some excellent advice on here.

Unless they're GC themselves and what they're trying to say is it's /gender/ neutral but still single sex? (Clutches at straws)
Mixed sex changing rooms is nuts, they won't have any women members left.

Please do tell them! Members of my local LA owned leisure centre forced a U turn on a very similar announcement a couple of years ago (we were able to argue that competitors had unisex changing facilities so anyone who needed that was already provided for locally).

IIRC someone did an FOI on voyeurism at swimming baths, which might have swayed them! I will try and dig it out.

Just checked their policy, no one under 18 allowed in any classes.

@EnoughIsay I’m on that one 🙂

https://www.met.police.uk/cy-GB/SysSiteAssets/foi-media/metropolitan-police/disclosure_2023/february_2023/reported-offences-gyms-2018-2022.xlsx

The Met got 1-2 reports of a sexual offence in a changing room every single week for the last 4 years.

@Catsanfan No, it’s about a boutique gym (apologies for term) being inclusive if I’ve read the email right.

@EtiennePalmiere Thank you. No, I can’t go back.

They’ve done funding rounds and this feels like a big change to what was offered, so there might be some peed off investors.

I have and I’m very grateful for every single response.

I'd probably go back and ask them to clarify what this means.

Are they making both rooms 'gender neutral' in that males will still use a male room no matter what gender they feel they are, and female the same. Or are they actually making all rooms 'mixed sex' in which case they really need to clarify this because of [then quote the data given] as it increases the risks of assault, particularly sexual assault.

And bearing in mind this increased risk, what steps are they taking to mitigate this increased risk and how are they informing all their customers of this risk and the management of this?

@NoMoreRedWineforFreda Wow, that’s pretty eye-opening, thank you. I’m leaving because of the risk the gym has created, because as has been mentioned, the decent blokes won’t go anywhere near the women’s changing room.

Thank you, you’re right, I need to clarify what they mean. Will send an email and share the response when I get it.

I always correct this. Let’s not be coy - it’s sex not gender. No way I’m hell would I use mixed sec changing rooms ffs!

It’s crappy enough to have to change and shower in an open space where I have to take off my glasses and can’t see a thing! Add into that some random blokes… they are having a laugh.

Question has been sent, let’s see what we get back.

Well my gym - or any gym I've ever attended - has open-plan changing next to open-plan showers next to small single sex sauna. Impossible to replicate with cubicles, and how would you handle the sauna?

OP threaten immediate cancelation but also maybe talk to other members first. A joint letter may have some effect.

Yes, all the decent men will stick to the former men's which leaves the boundary transgressing men who don't give a shit about women's feelings going where there are a majority of women.

You're safer if there's only one truly mixed sex changing room as at least then there's a chance of a decent bloke stepping in when the local flasher decides to use the facilities for his own enjoyment / access to a pool of victims that can't easily escape.

A good question would be what will they do to prevent the crime of flashing in their changing rooms if they're mixed sex.

The Old Vic theatre in London raised funds to provide new loos, promising more for women, and then built mixed sex ones with less provision for women than before. Not sure how that worked out - cubicles vs urinals, maybe? Anyway, not good.

The people who'd given money for this were not best pleased.

You're being absolutely ridiculous. My local council swimming pool has had gender neutral changing rooms since I was a baby and there has absolutely never been an issue with it. Only problem you have with it is because you're anti-Trans. Wise up.