PureGym under fire after trans woman thrown out of changing room

PureGym has been criticised by activists after a trans woman was forced to leave the women’s changing room because someone was “uncomfortable” with her presence.

The unnamed trans woman was asked by staff if she wanted to use the gender neutral disabled facilities—which she declined, as she’s not disabled—and whether she had undergone gender confirmation surgery, which she refused to answer, according to BuzzFeed News.

She said that after a year of being a member of the British gym company, and two months into using the women’s facilities every other day at this specific PureGym branch, she was told while she was changing that she had to leave.

The trans woman was told to leave the changing room after running on a treadmill (puregym/youtube)

“The manager said that men weren’t allowed in the women’s locker room,” she recalled.

Telling the manager that she was a trans woman, not a man, didn’t help.

“She said: ‘I’m afraid you have to leave’ because someone was made uncomfortable by me being in there.”

When the manager asked her outside of the changing room if she had had surgery, the trans woman asked if the question was related to PureGym’s policy, to which the manager said she didn’t know.

Trans woman explains why she spoke out

The trans woman has not returned to the PureGym branch since the incident, and has not found a different gym which makes her feel welcome.

“I want people to know that if you’re trying to go to the gym and have a workout, that’s nothing to be ashamed of”

— Trans woman

She said she spoke out because she wanted PureGym “to realise there is that gap, and you need that training to take into consideration our experiences.”

It was also her hope that the story would reveal a fraction of the struggle endured by trans people in Britain.

“I’ve heard from other trans women that they’ve felt ashamed, or humiliated,” she said.