That whole locker room issue at gyms.

[Nicole Erin]

A while back someone brought that up. I kind of read thru it, and there were the normal responses -
Use the one that you identify....
I was wondering this myself...
How much can you bench press...
You are not a TS, you cannot call yourself that...
I agree...
I never said you were a pepsi drinker just cause you are pre-op...
I am leaving the forum....
This thread is locked cause of fighting again....

Anyways so today I was walking out of the gym I go to and the manager had stopped me and said someone had complained that he didn't think women should be using the men's locker room.

What followed was a civil yet interesting conversation. REAL fun explaining my situation. I said I use the men's cause legally I am such but I am going thru transformation. I don't know if that was the best response but what the heck was I suppose to say? I asked, "what so people cannot tell what I am?" and she said something about not knowing herself. And then something about having this overall femme look.
I told her that yes i could use the women's but I can imagine the crap hitting the fan the first time i bump into some younger woman in there. I mean most men do not pay attention to anyone in the locker room. Men are not suppose to talk or look at others.

I am real curious about this. I mean yes I have an overall femme look but come on, it is not so convincing that people cannot figure it out.

The only two things I can imagine is the guy who complained was either some gay guy who hates women or it was some homophobe who knows but wanted to try to make things difficult for me.

He accomplished two things -
He put the manager in a real awkward position since she had to ask me about it (how fun is it for cis folks to ask some stranger about their gender, especially when they are at their job as a manager?)
He pissed me off cause one - my gender or where I shower is not his business and whether he knew I was TS or not, he just wanted to try to make things rough.

I am sure this will come up again. She was asking what I wanted to do and said something about having private changing areas in the women's locker room. The men's is pretty much wide open. Even in the men's, I don't walk around naked. Not like I prance around the locker room with my wang flopping about while singing "I'm just a girl" by Gwen Stephanie.

Much fun being stuck between genders I guess. I still think it MIGHT be safer using the men's locker but now I wonder what if I got attacked? I mean it better be a couple guys at least cause I am NOT some frail puny chick. Still not much fun having to look over my shoulder at times.

BTW when I go to the gym, I do not talk to anyone, I don't look at anyone, the whole world is but my routine, sweat, and trying to beat my best previous efforts. Whoever the guy was, I wish he would learn to keep his nose in his own business and routine.

[Aprilrain]

Not like I prance around the locker room with my wang flopping about while singing "I'm just a girl" by Gwen Stephanie.

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


OK i think im composed now. Nicole are you a woman or what? get your documentation changed and use the woman's !

[AllieSF]

Thanks for an interesting thread that I hope does not get closed. It sounds like the poor manager did her best to try to understand the situation based on a customer's complaint. I am not clear as to what she decided was best or not, or did she leave it up to you? Assuming that she left it up to you,and assuming that the gym is a normal gym inhabited by the usual gym characters, which from my limited experience act and look like everyday characters, I would guess that your chances of being attacked in the male locker room are very low. It would also depend at the moment of confrontation with a disgruntled male locker room user on how your reply and then the accusers reply back progressed. Meaning, if he questioned you and you answered in a civil, non-confrontational way, maybe he would accept your explanation and just learn to live with it. Or, maybe he would not accept it and your next reply would be to suggest that he talk again with the manager maybe together with you, to resolve the issue to everyone's more or less satisfaction. Strong replies may incite stronger replies from the other. So, all that being said, I would say you should continue using the male locker room until you are ready to switch over to the women's side with the Gym's approval where their approval is needed. I hope that makes sense to you. Good luck.

[DanaR]

I knew another girl that had a similar situation happen to her. She was transitioning and used the men's locker room. She was asked to use the women's locker room because the men were uncomfortable with her in there, because she had breasts.:D Go figure!

[Bree-asaurus]

Gime? What's a gime?

Ohhh..... a gime......

(Gime: Homer Simpson's pronunciation of gym... obscure reference maybe? :P)

Using the women's locker room without being legally female (and even if you were, still having man-parts) could make things real nasty of some ignorant girl gets offended and calls the cops. This is why I don't go to the gym (but does not excuse my overall laziness :P)

[danielleb]

Since it's already out in the open now, I would simply go with what you're comfortable with and with what the gym manager is going to accept. If you truly fear an attack in the men's room, I'm certain that risk doesn't exist in the women's. And if the gym has to field more complaints from you using the women's room, as long as the manager is aware and has made a decision that you should be there then it's her fight to handle those complaints.

[Postopadmirer]

My gym has a family locker room, with private areas to change and a open area where the lockers are. Anybody think this is a good option for those in transition, or are people going to be freaked out and worry about TG people being in the same locker area as children and families.

[Amber99]

AVOID LOCKER ROOMS.
Still go to the gym though.

[pamela_a]

April has it right. If it's not already done, get your name and gender marker corrected and use the women's.

After my name was changed and gender marker corrected but still pre-op I joined a health club as a woman and used the women's changing rooms. Most women are very modest and changing "under a towel" is not unusual or would be considered strange our out of place. The one's I've been in have all had individual shower stalls also and a few have even had private changing areas in the locker areas

[Jessinthesprings]

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


OK i think im composed now. Nicole are you a woman or what? get your documentation changed and use the woman's !

Agreed. IF the manager says she didn't know then go to the women's. It's where you sould be anyway. Just do what you need to get done and get out.

[CharleneT]

I'm with the others that say go to the women's. It will get rid of the problem and you'll find more acceptance if they do come to understand you're in transition. The manager will probably be happier and you will find it helps sharpen your presentation. There is a tipping point where you have to jump to the other side (as it were) and that point often happens before we are quite ready - but it will work out ;)

[Mary Lee]

I'm with the others that say go to the women's. It will get rid of the problem and you'll find more acceptance if they do come to understand you're in transition. The manager will probably be happier and you will find it helps sharpen your presentation. ;)

So what is the difference in the way women act in the women's locker room and the way men act in the men's locker room. After all we have to act like women.

[Traci Elizabeth]

There is a tipping point where you have to jump to the other side (as it were)... ;)

That is very true. There comes a time when the scale tips all the way to the other side where you are a 100% woman - no if's or but's about it!

To me this thread is a non-issue. If you are a woman, then why would you act or do otherwise under any situation.

Every locker room I have been in have two distinctive shower set-ups. Men have a large open shower room where all men take a shower in the presence of everyone else. In the woman's locker room, showers are individual stalls with tiled walls on each side and back wall and a privacy curtain over the entrance. Unless you are post-op just make sure you don't walk out of the shower butt naked. Have the sense to have a large towel to wrap around your body then when you get back to your locker, put your panties on while the towel is still wrapped around you. That is what most women would do anyway. Women are more modest about their bodies than men.