Canada: West End Fitness World closes women’s-only space

Article here. Excerpt:

'Gyms and weight rooms haven’t always been the most welcoming, comfortable place for women.

But over the last 30 years, health clubs worldwide introduced women’s-only section to cater to their expanding clientele and induce new members to adopt a healthier lifestyle that included weights and treadmills.

But now a West End Fitness World is eliminating the section used exclusively by women to accommodate the neighbourhood’s gay, male demographic and because clients have complained the gym should be completely co-ed.
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In an angry rant she posted Wednesday on her blog Tank’s Travels, Tankard said Fitness World was deceiving the female members who’d bought passes in order to use the women’s-only section.
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“Lots of women don’t want to work out in the company of men, their sweat and their grunting,” she wrote. “Sorry guys, you’re not always the best workout partners.”

Colleen Kirk, a spokeswoman for Fitness World, said the gym is responding to requests from what it considers the changing needs of its clients.

“That part of the women’s-only location is not used a lot and our members have come to us and said, ‘We want more space that is gender-neutral.’”

She said the dozen other Fitness World locations, including Kitsilano, have dedicated women’s sections and there are no plans to eliminate them.
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In 2005, a Burnaby man took the private gym Just Ladies Fitness to the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal after staff refused to sell him a membership.

He lost his case. Not only was he not prevented from working out at other affordable fitness centres near his home, but the ruling also determined women should have the option to exercise “free of the male gaze” or otherwise might not exercise at all.'