A Planet Fitness Gym in Midland, Michigan is the center of talks and controversy following the revocation of a membership of a woman who complained about a transgender person who entered the women's locker room.
Yvette Cormier, 48 years old, was walking into the Midland Branch Planet Fitness locker room on Saturday when she was startled to see someone 'dressed like a man'. Apparently, the person was wearing a wig but was 'huge' and appeared 'very manly'.
Cormier told ABC News, "I was stunned and shocked. He looked like a man. He did not look like a woman." She narrated how the transgender woman walked into the locker room while Cormier is getting undressed.
"I just stopped right there in my tracks. It was a man for sure," she added. Cormier was a new member in the said branch for just two months. She immediately alerted the front desk staff about the incident. However, the staff reiterated about their company's policies on gender equality.
The staff member told her that 'whatever gender you feel you are, that's the locker room you're allowed to go in.' He added, "We had lots of complaints about him but we told him to go change in a stall."
Cormier recalled, "He said, 'if you're uncomfortable with that you can wait until he's done in there.' I stood back and said, 'How about he waits until I'm done in the women's locker room. Or get a unisex bathroom.' He asked if I would like to talk to the manager and I said, 'I'm calling corporate."
Since the incident happened, it has drawn attention to transgender rights. However, she stood firm on her stand and believes she has her own rights as a woman. "This is all new to me. I didn't go out to specifically bash a transgender person that day. I was taken aback by the situation. This is about me and how I felt unsafe. I should feel safe in there," Cormier said.
She then called the corporate offices and they told her that their policies do embark on gender equality. They confirmed that the staff member told her the truth about their policies. "I wouldn't have signed up for this gym if I knew that ahead of time. They are failing to protect me if anything happens in those locker rooms with a man."
After a few days, she went back to the gym and told other members of what happened. She then learned that her Planet Fitness membership was revoked effective immediately. They gave her the reason that she was talking about him in the women's locker room and she made people upset.
Meanwhile, Planet Fitness Director Public Relations McCall Gosselin said, "The gym 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."
They added, "The manner in which this member expressed her concerns about the policy exhibited behavior that management at the Midland club deemed inappropriate and disruptive to other members, which is a violation of the membership agreement and as a result her membership was cancelled. As our statement outlines, her membership was not cancelled as a result of complaints about our policy, as we welcome all feedback from our members. Rather, it was the manner in which her concerns were expressed that club management felt was inappropriate, which resulted in the cancellation."