Katie, at the front desk, could use a little sensitivity training. I approached her on Monday Jan…read more15th to ask about a piece of jewelery I had lost in their women's locker room. After some confusion, she became instantly confrontational saying: "Wait, but should you even be in the women's locker room?"
Me: "Yes, that's the one I always use."
"But do you have a vagina?" She said, bluntly, for all to hear.
I was polite, tried to defuse and answered all her questions to the best of my ability. I was born nonbinary, believe it or not. Yes I have a vagina, also other things though, etc.
Then she decided to get her manager after I informed her I didn't care and would use whichever bathroom she wanted me to. Or whichever had the shorter line to make it logical. During my chat with her manager, Katie would occasionally chime in: "We just can't have a dude stand pissin' in the women's room." and other classic anti-trans litanies. Frankly, there aren't any urinals in the women's, and how a person chooses to pee in stalls is solely the business of the occupant. I tuned her out to the best of my ability.
The manager then got her husband and he was actually super cool about it. He said to just use whichever bathroom I was more comfortable using. Thank you sir, if you're reading this.
About a week later (today), I received a call that my jewelery had been found. I had already decided before I entered that I was going to cash out my juice card and cancel my membership. Katie was the only one working and became quite nasty when I asked for a cancelation. She kept repeating how I was lucky she saved my earring for me, and if I had something to say then I should say it. I responded that I prefer writing, it's less dramatic. Mentally I added, it is also less easy to overhear.
I actually tried to spare her in the report to the best of my ability, and I confess that her little verbal jabs and petty comments distracted me enough I forgot to write a couple things on my reason for canceling:
Legally, yes I am required to conform to the F symbol on my driver's license. I would also prefer to not be interrogated about my genitalia in public, at a place I have faithfully paid to have use of for over two years.
There are much less inflammatory ways to have dealt with that situation. She picked a fight and made it personal when it very much didn't need to be. I will be taking my business elsewhere, and cannot recommend this gym to anyone who expects to be treated like a human rather than an animal.
All the best in these trying times,
Andy Lullabee
