Planet Fitness Market Values Plummets After Banning Member for Complaining about ‘Trans Woman’ Locker Rooms
Planet Fitness saw a $400 million value decrease in the five days after an Alaska branch of the gym banned a member for complaining about a biological male in the women’s restroom.
The company’s valuation dropped from $5.3 billion on March 14 to $4.9 billion on March 19, according to DailyMail. The valuation drop came right after Patricia Silva, an Alaskan woman, was barred from Planet Fitness for detailing an incident in the locker room online. A transgender-identifying woman who is a biological male can be seen in pictures shaving in the women’s locker room.
The company claims that although female members may be uncomfortable, that’s not a reason to deny transgender members access to opposite-sex bathrooms.
“Some members may feel uncomfortable with a transgender member using the same locker room facilities, bathrooms, showers or other facilities/programs separated by sex,” a Planet Fitness document reads. “This discomfort is not a reason to deny access to the transgender member.”
Silva posted a now-viral video describing her interaction with the male in the women’s locker room in early March. Silva claimed that she entered the women’s locker room and saw a “man with a penis” shaving in front of a 12-year-old girl.
Silva reportedly told the individual that he should be using the male locker room.
“He doesn’t like his gender so he wants to be a woman, but I’m not comfortable with him shaving in my bathroom. I just thought I’d say it out loud,” Silva said in her video.
She continued online, stating, “I went to Planet Fitness… walked in the bathroom, and there stands a MAN shaving … I looked at him, said ‘hey’ … and I said, ‘You are a man shaving in the women’s bathroom and I am not OK with that.’”
Planet Fitness submitted the same statement to all press inquiries about the incident.
“As the home of the Judgement Free Zone, Planet Fitness is committed to creating an inclusive environment,” the statement reads. “Our gender identity non-discrimination policy states that members and guests may use the gym facilities that best align with their sincere, self-reported gender identity.”
