A Planet Fitness member who was banned for complaining about a transgender woman shaving in the female locker rooms has claimed that person now has a staff escort to the bathrooms and that the gym has told other critics to back off.
Patricia Silva was banned from the gym in Alaska after describing an incident online in which she said she saw a transgender woman in her locker room.
The gym reiterated its decision, saying that while some members may feel uncomfortable sharing facilities, “This discomfort is not a reason to deny access to the transgender member.”
Opposition to the ban says the company’s valuation will plummet $400 million within five days.
Silva told me The New York Post the trans woman still uses the women’s locker room and receives assistance from the staff while they are there.
“He has an employee who helps him in the bathroom,” Silva said. “My friend told his accompanying Planet Fitness rep to leave.”
Patricia Silva, who was banned from Planet Fitness after posting about a trans woman using the female locker room, said that person now gets an employee escort to the bathrooms
Silva told the employee who complained to her friend that the person was still using the women’s locker room “if you don’t feel comfortable, you can go to a stall.”
According to Silva, the employee, “I told my friend that if you don’t feel comfortable, you can go to a stall.”
“Another friend of mine went to the gym the other day and he was there, shaving his face again,” she said.
‘He’s dressed as a man. His hair is cut short. It looked like he was dressed, shaving his face and getting ready to leave for the day.
Silva posted a video on Facebook in early March detailing her experiences at the gym.
She said she had just finished working out at Planet Fitness’ Fairbanks location when she saw the person, who she called “a man with a penis,” performing his routine in front of a 12-year-old girl.
Silva, who previously ran for Fairbanks Borough Assembly, told the “trans woman” that they should really use the men’s locker room. The trans woman responded that they were “LGB.”
Silva then took a photo of the person, shared it online and recounted her experience in a Facebook video: “I just came from Planet Fitness.
‘There’s a man shaving in the ladies’ room. I love him in Christ. He is a spiritual being having a human experience.
‘He doesn’t like his gender so he wants to be a woman, but I don’t like him shaving in my bathroom. I thought I’d just say it out loud.’
Silva — who has shared QAnon conspiracy theories on social media — also described the encounter in a written post online.
“I went to Planet Fitness…Walked in the bathroom and there’s a MAN shaving…I looked at him, said ‘hey’…he looked up…and I said, ‘ You’re a man who shaves in the ladies’ room, and I’m not okay with that.’
‘He replied… ‘Well, I’m LGBT…’
“Whatever that is…I still told him, ‘You’re a MAN and you’re invading my space!’
‘He wanted to argue to justify why he could be there… I walked away…
‘I stepped out of the dressing room and asked loudly at the reception: ‘Did you know that there is a MAN shaving in the ladies’ room… I don’t agree with that ⁉️’ The two men standing at the desk raise their heads down, and their tails between their legs! As I walked out the door…behind me a woman shouts ‘it’s a girl’…I shouted back ‘it’s a man!’
Former Planet Fitness gym-goer Patricia Silva has defended her response in a series of Facebook posts
“PF canceled my membership and allowed the pedo to stay ‼️,” she stated.
Planet Fitness revoked Silva’s membership and filed charges against her, citing her violation of gym policy by taking photos and/or videos in the locker room.
Her actions were contrary to the gym’s commitment to “creating an inclusive and safe environment.”
Planet Fitness’ statement, shared by TikTok’s Libs, followed the same line. They doubled down on their decision.
In their statement, the gym said staff must “work with members and employees to address this inconvenience (sharing facilities with transgender members) and promote a climate of understanding consistent with Planet Fitness’ non-judgmental nature.”
The statement continued: “Planet Fitness staff will strive to address transgender members by names, titles, pronouns and other terms consistent with their self-reported gender identity, when reasonably known to Planet Fitness staff.”
The statement said that “a transgender woman will be referred to by her preferred name and feminine pronouns.”
And a “transgender man will be referred to by his preferred name and male pronouns.”
It concluded that the gym “reserves the right to immediately terminate any individual’s membership for any violation of this policy.”
When DailyMail.com contacted Planet Fitness about their policy, they reiterated their statement issued after Silva went viral.
“As the home of the Judgment Free Zone, Planet Fitness is committed to creating an inclusive environment. Our gender identity non-discrimination policy states that members and guests may use the fitness facilities that best reflect their true, self-reported gender identity,” the report said.
“The member who posted on social media violated our mobile device policy that prohibits taking photos of individuals in the locker room, which resulted in their membership being terminated.”
Yvette Cormier, a Michigan woman who had her Planet Fitness membership canceled nine years ago, told DailyMail.com on Thursday that she saw many parallels between her case and that of Patricia Silva.
She offered her support to Silva and joined conservative calls for a boycott, as she did in 2015 when she complained about seeing a transgender woman in the women’s locker room in Midland.
While some members may feel uncomfortable sharing facilities, the gym said: ‘This discomfort is not a reason to deny access to the transgender member’
Opposition to the ban says the company’s valuation will plummet $400 million within five days
Cormier sued Planet Fitness for invasion of privacy, sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract and emotional distress.
Silva lost, but an appeals court ruled that the gym violated the Consumer Protection Act by not properly informing members that transgender women could use the women’s restroom, the Detroit Free Press reported in 2018.
“That’s the purpose of having a men’s and women’s locker room, where the men can go to the men’s locker room and the ladies can go to the women’s locker room,” Cormier told DailyMail.com.
“I suggested early on that we have a unisex bathroom, and then people who are transitioning or whatever could use that bathroom.”
In her case, she said, the person in question, who was never identified, was not transgender. She claimed he was a “perverted” man who had a history of stalking women in the city.
“He loved women and that was his way of getting in there,” Cormier said. ‘He was mentally disturbed and stalked women. He got kicked out of our mall for stalking a woman at a jewelry store, and he also approached roller derby girls asking for sex.
“I’m surprised that other people haven’t been raped or children haven’t been abused,” she continued. “That’s ultimately what will continue to happen if you continue to allow this to happen.”