Planet Fitness and transgenders in locker rooms

[NobleSavage]

How about instead of calling it the mens and womens locker room you call it the penis or vagina room?

That way you don't have to identify yourself as male of female, but as a person with a vagina or penis...

What about people who have both? That happens you know?

 

[repoman]

Well, I think what might happen is that you get some creepy non-trans voyeurs who will push this to the limit.

Kind of like the bastards who porn out in the library.

 

[repoman]

hmm, is this right?

Unfortunate interview. Commenting on your own state of affairs is one thing. making these sweeping judgements without knowing the person is another. These statements make Zoey Tur legally suable. By the way Ms Tur, transvestites have a "sexual fetish" , crossdressers do it for emotional comfort. You should have researched your terms before making these statements.

 

[repoman]

I wonder if the cultural climate will keep on shifting and if in 10 or 20 years from now some of us would be castigated for our current stands on this issue.

I fucking hate this type of "callout culture" way of brigading an issue.

hopefully by then there will be brain scans to see who is really trans or a transvestite or a cross dresser.

But this seriously needs to be stopped at some point. If women don't want a bio-man in their rest room I say majority rules. Especially if there are gender neutral restrooms.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Yeah, in general I favor support for the transgendered but when it comes to dressing rooms it seems to me that it should go on anatomy, not how they present to the world.

The problem with that is when you have the same anatomy folks trolling for fresh meat amongst people who don't swing in that direction.

That problem is inevitable as homosexuals exist.

 

[Bronzeage]

The problem with that is when you have the same anatomy folks trolling for fresh meat amongst people who don't swing in that direction.

That problem is inevitable as homosexuals exist.

These days I am a member of Planet Fitness. It's a cut-rate gym with full equipment. What it lacks are the spa type amenities like a swimming pool, hot tub and a sauna.

Many years ago, I was a member of a full service gym. It started as a weightlifters training gym and slowly expanded to become a full service family health club. They had a large locker room which had a steam room, a sauna, and several hot tubs. There were separate shower stalls, each with a shower curtain. It was a deluxe set up, except in the summer, it was stifling hot. I moved my gear to a smaller upstairs locker room that had nothing but three shower heads on a wall. Someone asked why I had moved and before I answered, a younger man piped up and said, "I came up here because some of the guys are kind of funny, you know what I mean.

I said, "If you mean Gary and John, they're two of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. They never gave me any trouble, but I don't know. You maybe more attractive than I am." That sort of ended the conversation, so we both took our clothes off and showered together.

The next day, he apologized and said he did not intend to insult my friends. I accepted his apologies, with the advice to be more careful when speaking about people he doesn't actually know. I later found out he was the youth minister for one of our larger Baptist churches.

I find the expression "trolling for fresh meat" a little strange. How does that work? If a person doesn't "swing in that direction," would being naked with a person who does, make him vulnerable to the temptation of pendulous action? Does it make it difficult to say, "Excuse me, but I would prefer you take my penis out of your mouth. Thank you for understanding."

In my old well equipped gym, once inside the locker room, the sight of fully naked male bodies was common. No one seemed to take notice. The Planet Fitness I use is a little different. If I had to describe it with two words, I would call it "undue modesty. Most of the men are never completely naked. They wrap a towel around their waist before stripping off their shorts. The wear the same towel back to their locker and pull their pants up before losing the towel. I'm not sure what that's all about.

 

[ZiprHead]

I can see how this could make some women uncomfortable. I think trans-gender issues are going to be quite a bit more difficult to solve in the near future then gay-straight.

My only fear of having women in the locker room with me would be of the giggling coming from viewing my miniscule schlong. "I was in the pool!" - George Costanza

 

[Tom Sawyer]

I can see how this could make some women uncomfortable. I think trans-gender issues are going to be quite a bit more difficult to solve in the near future then gay-straight.

Well, what's the rationale behind that lack of comfort which would make them legitimately less comfortable than having a lesbian in the locker room?

I can't think of one which particularly differentiates it from a white racist being undomfortable from having a black man in the locker room.

 

[Jason Harvestdancer]

In that case, why have separate locker rooms in the first place?

And what of minors that wish to be gym members?

 

[Bronzeage]

In that case, why have separate locker rooms in the first place?

And what of minors that wish to be gym members?

Planet Fitness does not allow membership for anyone under the age of 12.

There are people of both sexes, of whatever sexual inclination, who are too shy and modest to display their naked or slightly naked body to anyone. They handle the locker room and shower problem by not using the locker room and shower at their health club. It's an elegant solution.

The problem of "I don't want someone to see me naked," is easily solved.

 

[dismal]

In that case, why have separate locker rooms in the first place?

And what of minors that wish to be gym members?

Planet Fitness does not allow membership for anyone under the age of 12.

There are people of both sexes, of whatever sexual inclination, who are too shy and modest to display their naked or slightly naked body to anyone. They handle the locker room and shower problem by not using the locker room and shower at their health club. It's an elegant solution.

The problem of "I don't want someone to see me naked," is easily solved.

Well, sure, if you don't give a shit about equal rights.

This would clearly have a disparate negative impact on women as they are generally more concerned about men looking at their hoohas.

 

[Bronzeage]

Planet Fitness does not allow membership for anyone under the age of 12.

There are people of both sexes, of whatever sexual inclination, who are too shy and modest to display their naked or slightly naked body to anyone. They handle the locker room and shower problem by not using the locker room and shower at their health club. It's an elegant solution.

The problem of "I don't want someone to see me naked," is easily solved.

Well, sure, if you don't give a shit about equal rights.

This would clearly have a disparate negative impact on women as they are generally more concerned about men looking at their hoohas.

Equal right to what? Privacy? A locker room is not one of the places where a person presumes they will have privacy. That's the nature of a locker room. I know quite a few women who will not undress and shower in a locker room. It's their preference. They have the same right to a locker and a shower as anyone else who paid her dues that month.

As for general concern about exposing hoohas and wingdings, how do you explain all the men in my current locker room who put a towel around their waist before undressing? I know it's a small survey sample, but the percent of men who do this is well over half the men who use the locker room in the morning hours.

 

[Jason Harvestdancer]

Well, sure, if you don't give a shit about equal rights.

This would clearly have a disparate negative impact on women as they are generally more concerned about men looking at their hoohas.

Equal right to what? Privacy? A locker room is not one of the places where a person presumes they will have privacy. That's the nature of a locker room. I know quite a few women who will not undress and shower in a locker room. It's their preference. They have the same right to a locker and a shower as anyone else who paid her dues that month.

As for general concern about exposing hoohas and wingdings, how do you explain all the men in my current locker room who put a towel around their waist before undressing? I know it's a small survey sample, but the percent of men who do this is well over half the men who use the locker room in the morning hours.

While one does not presume to have full privacy in a locker room, there is an expectation of some privacy. If I see a woman on the street I am free to photograph her. If my wife goes into the locker room and starts taking pictures, she violates the expectation of privacy that exists in the female locker room. You're ignoring that there are degrees of expectation of privacy, and by the standard you are expressing one might as well change in the open.

 

[Bronzeage]

Equal right to what? Privacy? A locker room is not one of the places where a person presumes they will have privacy. That's the nature of a locker room. I know quite a few women who will not undress and shower in a locker room. It's their preference. They have the same right to a locker and a shower as anyone else who paid her dues that month.

As for general concern about exposing hoohas and wingdings, how do you explain all the men in my current locker room who put a towel around their waist before undressing? I know it's a small survey sample, but the percent of men who do this is well over half the men who use the locker room in the morning hours.

While one does not presume to have full privacy in a locker room, there is an expectation of some privacy. If I see a woman on the street I am free to photograph her. If my wife goes into the locker room and starts taking pictures, she violates the expectation of privacy that exists in the female locker room. You're ignoring that there are degrees of expectation of privacy, and by the standard you are expressing one might as well change in the open.

There are varying degrees of privacy, which is why bathrooms have locks on the doors. In a place where it is customary for some people to undress and walk away naked, there is a lesser degree of privacy than in the aerobic class. In any case, no one is forced to undress in the locker room in order use the facilities of a health club.

The problem of not wanting to expose one's body is nothing new. Plenty of people deal with it every day and find a solution which suits them. Very seldom is the solution an increase in locker room privacy.

 

[Jason Harvestdancer]

Yes, but there is still a certain expectation of privacy, which you just admitted to. And that certain expectation of privacy is why 1. we have locker rooms in the first place instead of changing in public, and 2. those locker rooms are gender segregated. People are generally more comfortable changing in front of the same gender than the opposite gender. Not everyone is a willing exhibitionist.

 

[Bronzeage]

Yes, but there is still a certain expectation of privacy, which you just admitted to. And that certain expectation of privacy is why 1. we have locker rooms in the first place instead of changing in public, and 2. those locker rooms are gender segregated. People are generally more comfortable changing in front of the same gender than the opposite gender. Not everyone is a willing exhibitionist.

Should Planet Fitness provide private dressing rooms for those who are uncomfortable changing in front of anybody? At some point they have to decide how best to serve their customers with the available resources. Anyone who doesn't like the arrangement provided can shower at home.

 

[repoman]

And why can't the transgenders shower at home?

 

[repoman]

It would be cool if the next thing for genetic men in genetic women's locker rooms is this:

 

[crispy]

It would be cool if the next thing for genetic men in genetic women's locker rooms is this:

 

[scombrid]

In my old well equipped gym, once inside the locker room, the sight of fully naked male bodies was common. No one seemed to take notice. The Planet Fitness I use is a little different. If I had to describe it with two words, I would call it "undue modesty. Most of the men are never completely naked. They wrap a towel around their waist before stripping off their shorts. The wear the same towel back to their locker and pull their pants up before losing the towel. I'm not sure what that's all about.

I think the Planet Fitness marketing ploy of "judgement free zone" may attract more people with body image issues than would an old school gym.