A Michigan woman’s Planet Fitness gym membership was canceled after she complained of a man in the women’s dressing room. Yvette Cormier says that when she complained, she was told that the man identifies as a woman and is therefore free to Dress in the women’s locker room.  According to Planet Fitness, the woman’s complaints to other women violated the gyms “no-judgement zone” policy.

The slogan “Judgement Free Zone” is regularly used by Planet Fitness.

A statement released by McCall Gosselin, public relations director for Planet Fitness, states that members can use the locker room corresponding with their personal gender identity.

Given that this is the policy, it is unclear why the gym even bothers with men’s and women’s dressing rooms. It seems to me that this would not be an issue were the gym to simply have one big room where everyone changes. I mean, if gender is just whatever you think, then what is a men’s room or a woman’s room. Let’s just cease the charade and have one dressing room for all.

But the most interesting part of the article, which you can read here, is at the end.

According to Alison Gill, senior legislative council for the Human Rights Campaign, the gym is within its rights to create a policy that welcomes members to use the locker room corresponding with their gender identity.

“They have that right,” she said.

And I couldn’t agree more.  No one should be able to tell a private business who they can and can’t do business with. If Cormier is unhappy with the way Planet Fitness wants to do business, she is welcome to take her business elsewhere and those who agree with her are welcome to do the same.  What is unclear is why private property rights extend to Planet Fitness and do not extend to Baronelle Stutzman, the Florida florist who was fined for refusing to supply a homosexual wedding with flowers.  Also unclear is why those same private property rights do not extend to Aaron and Melissa Klein of owners of Cakes by Melissa, who were forced by the state of Oregon to provide a cake for a lesbian wedding.

I fully support the right of Planet Fitness or any other gym to open their locker rooms to whomever they wish.  the principle is sound!  However, the principle means nothing if it does not apply to ALL private property owners.