Locker room controversy at Life Time Fitness in Vestavia Hills

BEGIN ON JULY 7TH, WHETHER IT’S POLITICAL ADS OR DEBATE AM LAWMAKERS ABOUT NEW STATE LAWS TRANSGENDER ISSUES HAVE BEEN IN THE HEADLINES FOR MONTHS. NOW A PETITION IS CIRCULATING CALLING ON A NATIONAL GYM CHAIN TO CHAENG ITS BATHROOM POLICIES WHEN IT COMES TO WHO CAN USE WHICH LKEOCR ROOM WVTM 13’S BREA DOUGLAS IS LIVE FROM LIFETIME FITNESS OF VESTAVIA HILLS THIS EVENING APRIA WHAT EXACTLY IS THIS PETITION ASKING FOR SPECIFICALLY? WELL, BRITTANY THE PETITION HAS BEEN SIGNED BY A FEW HUNEDDR PEOPLE EXPRESSING DISCOMFORT. AND SAFETY CONCERNS ABOUT GIRLS AND WOMEN CHANGING IN THE SAME LOCKER ROOMS AS TRANSGENDER WOMEN. I WALKED PAST THE SINKS. AND IEE S THIS PERSON STANDING THERE AND I THOUGHT WOW, THAT’S A REALLY TALL. HOLD ON A SECOND. THIS IS NOT A WOMAN. THIS IS A MAN. AND I HAD NO WORDS MARGARET ELLIS SHARES A RENTEC EXPERIENCE A LIFETIME FITNESSER H GYM FOR EIGHT YEARS. SHE SAYS SHE’S WORRIED ABOUT SAFETY AFTER ENCOUNTERING A TRANSGENR DEWOMAN. IN THE WOMEN’S LOCK REROOM, THERE ARE PARENTS THAT ARE COMING HERE WITHHE TIR CHILDREN READY TO YOU KNOW, HAVE FUN GO SWIMMING AND TO SEE THIS IN THE LOCKER ROOM IS VERY DISTURBING SHE ALONG WHIT ABOUT 300 OTHERS SIGNED A PETITION FOR LIFETIME FITNESS TO CHANGE ITS POLICY OF ALLOWING TRANSGENDER WOMEN TO USE THE WOMEN’S LOCKER ROOMS. THE PETITION ALSO WANTS MEDICAL PROOF OF TRANSITION AND BACKGROUND CHECKS BEFORE TRANSGENDER WOMEN CAN USE THE WOMEN’S FACILITIES DAY POPE WITH A GROUP CALLED TAKE OR TRANSGENDER ADVOCATES KNOWLEDGEABLE EMPOWERING SAYS IT’S JUST A WAY TO DISCRIMINATE. THERE’S SOME EXTRELYME LANGUAGE IN THIS PETITION TTHA MAKES IT SEEM TO MEO T BE MORE OF A WITCH HUNT OF TRYING TO EP LGBTQ PEOPLE OUT OF THIS GYM INSTEAD OF ACTUAYLL TRYING TO PROTECT ANYONE. I ASKED LIFETIME FITNESS FOR AN INTERVIEW REGARDING ITS POLICY THE COMPANY PROVIDED US A STATEMENT SAYING THEY RESPECT THERE ARE VARYING PERSPECTIVES ON THE TOPIC ADDGIN FEDERAL ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAW PERMITS EMPLEEOYS OF LARGE COMPANIES LIKE THEIRS TO USE THE BATHROOM AND LOCKER ROOM WITH WHICH THEY IDENTIFY AND SAY EMPLOYEES UNDEORG BACKGROUND CHECKS UPON HIRING. I BELIEVE THAT WHATEVER YOUR LICENSE SAYS, THAT’S THE BATHROOM THAT YOU SHOULD ATTEND. IT’S NOT WHAT YOU FEEL. YOU SHODUL IDENTIFY AS TRANSGENDER. PEOPLERE A YOUR BROTHER YOUR SISTER YOUR FRIENDS YOUR MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY YOUR COWORKER OR NOT SOME BOOGEYMAN. NOW THE PETITION NORHE T WOMAN I SPOKE WHIT MENTIONED ANY SPECIFIC SAFETY ISSSUE AT THIS LIFETIMEIT FNESS. ALSO, THE ORGANIZATION TAKES AS IT WELCOMES A CONVERSATION WITH THE PPLEEO WHO SIGNED THE PETITION SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE TRANSGENDER COMMUNITIES LEIV