LifeTime Fitness corporate policy is to allow biological men to use the women’s locker room and restrooms. The sole threshold for a biological man to enter women’s private spaces at LifeTime: the man decides he/she/they identifies as a “woman.” Any biological man can simply claim they identify as a woman without providing medical proof of transition. However, even if medical proof of hormone therapy or surgical transition was required, the rights and safety of biological women are being completely dismissed by this irresponsible policy. The policy not only dismisses the need for medical proof, LifeTime is not running a criminal or sexual offender background check on the men making identity claims. Simply, the company has decided to neglect their responsibility to champion women’s rights and safety for the comfort of biological men. Their policy makes their position clear: any man who identifies as a woman can choose to enter the women’s locker room and restrooms at their discretion. The emotional discomfort or fear of harm that a biological woman experiences is not of concern.

The presence of a biological man in private female spaces puts every biological female at risk. From emotional distress and discomfort to the real danger of physical harm, biological women are being violated by this policy. The vast majority of women do not want to undress, shower, or use the restroom alongside a biological man who is a complete stranger. Women do not want to be watched in their most vulnerable moments. Further, women don’t want to worry about their physical safety with just the hope that the intent of the biological man invading their space is wholesome.The risks for adult biological women are enough, but the LifeTime locker rooms are used by adolescent girls and young children as well. Teenage and tween girls are allowed to use the facilities unaccompanied by their mothers. During the summer and school breaks, little girls change in and out of swimsuits with just a few young female counselors as chaperones. The unavoidable reality is that predators will abuse LifeTime’s dangerous policy to gain access to our daughters. Perhaps their intent is to leer or photograph biological females in vulnerable states of undress to use for personal use or to sell the images to child pornography sites online. Perhaps their intent is far more sinister. The sad reality of today’s world: young girls are routinely trafficked and sexually molested by adult male predators. Allowing biological men in private biological female spaces is simply an invitation to tragedy.

LifeTime’s policy and procedures in this arena are not only dangerous, but nonsensical. LifeTime does not allow young boys of a certain age in the women’s locker room with their mothers. Mothers are told to use the family locker rooms with their young sons to avoid potential exposure. Yet, grown biological men are now given free access with a simple declaration of identity. Without being indelicate, even if the declared men do not have predatory intent, why is it acceptable for adult male genitalia to be exposed in the biological female locker rooms, but not our young sons? Clearly, LifeTime has not thought through the impact of these decisions. What is clear: in the company’s rush to political correctness, LifeTime has chosen to abandon their protection of the biological female membership base.

To defend the rights and safety of biological women at LifeTime Fitness, Vestavia please sign and share this petition so that LifeTime Fitness abandons this reckless and dangerous policy.