A transgender woman was left “devastated” after she was barred from working out at a women-only gym in British Columbia, Canada. Brigid Klyne-Simpson never really felt comfortable working out at a gym with men due to her gender identity and thought joining Bodyworks Fitness in Parksville was a great option. Sadly, that wasn’t to be.
- The idea of having a safe space to work on her fitness was important to Brigid Klyne-Simpson. “I fell out of it in university because I was just kind of intimidated being around a bunch of mostly really buff guys at the university gym,” she told CHEK News. “So finding a ladies’ gym was something that seemed really exciting, and now that I’m out, I understand why I was uncomfortable at the other place.”
- She was allowed to sign up and become a member. Bodyworks Fitness has two gyms in Parksville, one if which is only for women. That’s where Klyne-Simpson got her membership and was welcomed into the facility by a trainer.
- The trainer made Brigid Klyne-Simpson feel welcome. “One of the trainers there greeted me, and she was extremely kind and she could basically tell I was trans right away and said I would be welcome there, and explicitly said I would be safe as well, even gave me a hug,” she recalled. She immediately signed up and even spent an hour working out that day.
- Something changed just a few days later. While there was no indication of a problem, Klyne-Simpson says she got a call a few days later that really upset her. “I got a call from the same person basically saying, ‘Sorry, we made a mistake, you’re not actually allowed to be here, but you’re more than welcome to use the co-ed facility,” she shared. “I just hung up, because I mean, I was extremely devastated, there’s really no other word for it.”
- Bodyworks Fitness’ owner, Dale Nagra, stands behind the decision. While he welcomes Klyne-Simpson at the co-ed gym, he doesn’t extend the same attitude about the women’s gym. “We want them to be comfortable, but we also have to worry about the young girls that this gym is set up for and the women, and how are their parents gonna feel that they’re in there, then this person walks in with a male voice and big person,” he said.
- Nagra’s reasoning is sadly misguided. While he’s likely coming from the right place, he repeated one of the biggest myths when it comes to transgender rights, claiming that men like to pretend to be women to gain access to women’s spaces. “So now you pick the comfort of the male who identifies as a woman…and then anybody can go in there saying, ‘OK, I identify as a woman, and I want to be able to go in there,'” he claimed. “And so, do we pick the comfort of the transgender person, and they may not be as comfortable with the co-ed gym but at least that’s an alternative, or do we pick the comfort of the young girls that are working out there that might not feel comfortable?”
- Brigid Klyne-Simpson wishes people would take the opportunity to educate themselves. Given that a 2018 study proved that there’s no evidence that there’s a safety risk to allowing transgender people in gender-specific spaces. A further 2021 study went even further, showing that trans people are four times more likely to be the victims of violent crime than cisgender individuals. “Once you understand trans women are women, trans men are men, non-binary people are who they say they are, it’s as simple as that,” Klyne-Simpson said. “If you still feel uncomfortable after that, that’s on you, it’s not on me. I am who I am, it’s as simple as that. I just look different. That’s all.”
