Female only gym brand Fernwood is in the spotlight after they allegedly turned away a transgender woman who inquired about their facilities.
A Victorian woman shared her experience on a Reddit forum alongside a screenshot from her interaction with the company.
““I’m sorry, the Fernwood company policy is not inclusive of transgender women,” the message reads.
“Fernwood offers membership only to biologically born females who identify as female.”
The poster said she was quite shocked by the response, and wondered if it breached Victoria’s anti-discrimination laws.
The company provided a response to news.com saying their decision was about safety. The organisation has 70 franchises across Australia and over 90,000 members.
“Fernwood Fitness proactively reached out to the person in question to acknowledge her as an individual and to talk about her experience.
“This outreach was made with genuine care, recognising the personal nature of her inquiry. Fernwood appreciates the courage it can take to inquire about a membership as a transgender woman and acknowledges that the experience may have been hurtful or disappointing. Fernwood Fitness extends its sincere empathy in response.
“At the same time, Fernwood Fitness has a responsibility to consider the needs of its broader member community,” they said.
“A significant number of Fernwood Fitness members come from backgrounds where experiences of domestic violence, sexual assault, cultural beliefs, or religious practices necessitate access to female-only spaces based on sex.
“For many of these women, such spaces are not a preference but a requirement for their emotional and physical safety and for accessing the health and fitness services they need.
“This is not a reflection on personal identity, but rather a commitment to maintaining the integrity of a space that many women rely on.”
The spokesperson said the brand was now reviewing its legal requirements in light of the inquiry.
There is no suggested that the transgender woman who made the inquiry presented a sexual assault or domestic violence risk.
