March 9, 2015 7:30 AM

In no way am I prejudiced against [blank]; in fact, some of my best friends are [blank]

According to WNEM, a Planet Fitness gym in Midland, Michigan revoked the membership of a woman who complained that the trans woman she was sharing a locker room with looked too much like a man. Yvette Cormier said that she was in the women’s locker room at the aggressively open-minded Planet Fitness — its slogan bills it as “A Judgment-Free Zone” — when she encountered a trans woman who “stunned and shocked her.”…. “He looked just like a man,” Cormier told WNEM. “He did not look like a woman.” She did, however, want to make clear that she has “no issue with the LGBT community and fully understands the issue surrounding gender identity.”

We live in a world in which the squeaky wheel more often than not gets the grease. Complain about something with enough volume and sufficient moral outrage, and the odds are pretty good that your prejudice will be accommodated. After all, it’s easier for a business or other entity to cave to prejudice than to attempt to educate or stand up to a bully. In the case of Yvette Cormier, she decided that her prejudice was of greater value than someone’s right to be who they are. Whether or not the woman Cormier encountered in Planet Fitness’ locker was trans or not, it isn’t incumbent upon the gym to accommodate her sensibilities. In fact, Planet Fitness did exactly the right thing in telling her not to come back. This a refreshing, and all too rare, case of a business refusing to enable prejudice. The message is clear: no one has the right to pass judgment or to expect to have their fears and prejudices validated. They have a simple choice: abide by the policy Planet Fitness clearly states: “A Judgment-Free Zone”…or they can take their business elsewhere.

This makes me wish there was a Planet Fitness location close to my home.

Cormier felt that she was within her rights, evidently feeling threatened by the presence of someone whose gender identity offended her sensibilities. Her argument echoed a favorite justification of those offended by those whose sexuality is described part by “trans”:

Cormier also said that she was “concerned with what this could lead to. For instance, whether there’s any truth to a member’s gender identity claim,” echoing a favorite complaint of anti-trans activists. This policy could also, she continued, “lead to any man being able to claim he is a woman to gain access to the women’s locker room,” parroting another.

To their credit, Planet Fitness was true to their policy, stating that the company is

“committed to creating a non-intimidating, welcoming environment for our members. Our gender identity non-discrimination policy states that members and guests may use all gym facilities based on their sincere self-reported gender identity.”

People are people. What a novel concept, eh? Though Cormier claims to “have no issue with LGBT community, her actions tell another story. While she’s certainly free to whatever opinions and prejudices she deems appropriate, she has no standing to expect that her sensibilities be honored or respected. Though Cormier alleged she wasn’t made aware of Planet Fitness’ “no judgment” policy, all she had to do was to look around at her gym to see that slogan in numerous locations. “No judgment” is evidently something that Planet Fitness, to their credit takes seriously, and they’re within their rights to expel someone who’s demonstrated themselves unable and/or unwilling to play by those rules.

Cormier stuck to her guns, wondering how Planet Fitness’ policy would stop any man wanting to pose as a woman and gaining access to the women’s locker room. That this issue is a red herring seems to escape her (and the haters who have leaped to her defense). It’s entirely possible that a man could pose as a woman to gain access to the women’s locker room, but that has nothing to do with someone’s gender identity.

Planet Fitness should be applauded for sticking to their policy and making it clear that judgment of others- for whatever reason- is something that won’t be tolerated. Cormier will likely continue to play the poor, put upon, misunderstood waif card, but she was deservedly busted- not for her prejudice, but for the manner in which she chose to express it.

Cormier got what she deserved: Good night, game over, drive home safely. There’s a lesson to be learned her, though I suspect she’s too heavily invested in playing the victim to learn it. Perhaps she should give some thought to the prejudice she believes should take precedence over all other considerations. Give some thought to accepting people for who they are. She don’t have to like or even approve of it, but that’s where her rights end. If she can’t accept that, she probably shouldn’t let the door hit her in the ass on her way out.

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This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on March 9, 2015 7:30 AM.

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