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Daisy Phillipson
A transgender woman said she has been left 'devastated' after claiming she was banned from using a female-only gym.
Brigid Klyne-Simpson said she was initially made to feel welcome at Bodyworks Fitness in Parksville, Canada.
Speaking to CHEK News, she said: "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."
After signing up for a membership, Brigid headed back to the facility last week where she did an hour-long workout.
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She explained why she was happy to have found a female-only gym, stating: "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.
"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."
However, just a few days after her workout, Brigid said she got a phone call from the same employee who had greeted her so kindly, 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."
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Brigid said she just 'hung up', adding: "I was extremely devastated, there’s really no other word for it."
Although she's permitted to use the mixed gender gym, Brigid told the outlet that she doesn't feel comfortable in these spaces as it's mostly used by men.
"It was important to me to be in a place that would be like explicitly accepting, like, 'You are a woman, you’re allowed to be here,'" she explained.
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Bodyworks Fitness owner Dale Nagra stands by his decision, suggesting that Brigid, who has been on hormone replacement therapy for more than three years, is welcome to use the co-ed gym.
He said: "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.
"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'.
"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?"
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The publication pointed towards the mounting evidence that there are no increased safety risks when allowing transgender people to use facilities that match their gender identity.
In addition, a 2021 study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law found transgender people to be four times more likely to be a victim of violent crime than cisgender people.
Brigid said that while she understands some people might feel uncomfortable, 'all it takes is education'.
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"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," she continued.
"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."
UNILAD has contacted Bodyworks Fitness for comment.