YMCA privacy and safety

This is nothing less than the mindset of rape. We as YMCA members that you claim to care about are telling you loud and clear "No! Stop! We do not want this!" The YMCA is in effect telling us "Too bad! We do not care about you! We are doing it anyway! Case closed!" The YMCA of all places despising so much their biologocally female clientele that they do not listen and instead are so quick to put us in precarious situations, completely ignoring our pleas - our concerns based on reality, despite what they tell us! If the YMCA truly is "for all" then they would be listening and coming up with a reasonable solution that really does welcome us all into a safe and respectful environment.

Forcing women and children to share showers and changing rooms with men, regardless of their gender identity, is truly anti-women and anti-family. That the YMCA would ignore the legitimate privacy and safety concerns of women, children and former rape victims says they are not FOR everyone, they are only FOR those the PC police tell them to be for. We will give the YMCA a couple months to get it right, otherwise we'll be taking our family membership elsewhere.

Former YMCA member.

I had been looking for a gym since moving to West St Paul. I had narrowed it down to the YMCA and one other high profile gym. Your perverted decision has made my choice quite easy. I hope you have the money to pay for the lawsuits that will come when a pediphile "pretends" to be a woman to gain access to the girl's locker room!

I am considering ending our family membership which have had for over 8 years!

Jennifer, Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts! I am so sorry that you expect to get trashed and disgraced here. That is not at all what this is about at all. In fact, most of us know and love transgender friends and family. This has nothing to do with transgenderism in and of itself. I am sorry if you have been treated wrongly and without the love and respect that you deserve. Regarding safety, you say that you assume the Y has some some guidelines in place, but the fact is that they do not. We have been in extensive discussion with them about this and they readily admit there is absolutely no screening of any kind. By all means, talk to the managers or executive director at your YMCA to find out. And in fact they have no policy about this issue whatsoever. We have been told just last week by Greater Twin Cities YMCA staff that there is no policy and that they are instead currently taking it case-by-case. Again, please ask them to find out for yourself. No one is saying that we are afraid that transgender individuals will come in and harm us in the locker rooms. Our concerns are not about prejudice, judging, paranoia or fear of transgender individuals. But because there are no safety measures in place to help prevent sexual predators from taking advantage of this open door practice, anyone could indeed falsely pose as a transgender person. From a risk management standpoint, this is a dangerous practice. Please do not try to speak for the youth. Many children are indeed uncomfortable with the prospect of a person with the opposite biological anatomy seeing them in a state of undress, and many are not prepared to see the body of a person with opposite biology in a state of undress. Is it so hard to see how that can be traumatic? They and we do have a right to privacy. In fact, the law unequivocally states that it is NOT discrimination to only allow bathroom and locker rooms to be used by one biolical sex. Please read the Minneosta

Bad Idea!

The best thing about the YMCA was its values and now its out the window VERY DISAPPOINTED

How can you as the "Young Men's Christian Association" go from not allowing my 5 year old son accompanied by me his mom into the women's locker room in a changing room after swim lessons, insisting that he has to be unattended and unsupervised in the adult male locker room to allowing transgender people to openly enter whatever locker room they 'feel' they want to use is beyond understanding...this is why you have lost me as a member.

I will not participate in membership for my family if it means this type of exposure of mental illness and physical difference to my children in a locker room.

Please maintain traditional standards to comfort membership. Remember your mission statement: "To put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all" that leaves no room for trends because TRUTH never changes -- see LUKE 17: 2 "It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble." AND, sexuality isn't understand until fully mature at age 25 -- says every psychologist.

Trans gender should be required to change at home or in a different area not violating our God given rights!!!!

I have a right to privacy from men in the women's locker room. That is not a right I am willing to give up.

I find this decision contridictory to your self description of the YMCA West St. Paul. Dedicated to youth development. Healthy living and social responsibility. How is it possible that this minority of people that want gender neutral locker rooms has this much power over the majority of YMCA customers that don't agree with this. Not only is this a terrible idea for the paying public that funds the director's salary, I think this is a great occasion for the board to find a new director that will stand for the majority and make this place safe for our youth development. Reality check please!

It is incredibly wrong and not family-friendly that the Y is considering this perversion. It is not safe and respectful of girls and women. A decision in favor of one small segment of the population is endangering another much larger segment of the population. If this is a path your agency must continue on then devote money and resources towards a third locker room area.

Please reconsider the viewpoint you are taking regarding locker rooms being shared by individuals of the opposite sex. An intelligent person realizes they are who they are, they don't get to choose their gender any more than they change the day of the birth. Stop being political in your objective and keep the Y family friendly. I'd not, I cannot be a supporting member of this organization ant longer.

Please tell me the Y cares more about children then being politically correct? I would never have my family join if they went through with this plan.

I will never become a member if this is allowed to happen. Maybe make a third bathroom for all those who aren't worried about gender.

EVERYONE'S privacy must be considered, not just select groups. Children's safety should take top priority above all other considerations.

I dont feel safe at the YMCA anymore