Gym Membership - Ladies Only - Is this allowed?

badassmonkey1

Hi Guys,

I'm having an issue. My gym has closed off one of it's areas (Gym 2 as it's known) and made it a Ladies Only area.:(

When I joined this gym (Fitness First in Coventry), the sold me the benefits of the Gym as to having one main Gym area (Gym 1), a smaller gym area (Gym 2) for people who don't want the hustle and bustle of Gym 1 and another personal training area along with cafe, sauna etc.

My issue is that I love Gym 2. I can have a quiet, concentrated work out, without the droves of meatheads, dropping weights and grunting away like cavemen. The equipment down there is always available (main gym area is always packed) and being someone who is not overly confident, this suits me down to the ground.

My question is: Seeing as one of the main services my Gym has provided/sold to me, is being taken away from me and other male members, are we eligible for a reduction in membership fees? If so, how can we go about this?

Plus - it is a little bit sexist.

ShaneUK

I think first of all, you need to check the terms of your contract, as there may be a clause that states that they can change the usuage, or remove facilities.

As for having a ladies only area - I am not sure on the legalities of this, but where I live, there is one gym that is purely for ladies only.
http://www.ladiesworkoutexpress.com/103-107QueenStreet/
(in fact, they appear to be worldwide
http://www.ladiesworkoutexpress.com/locations.asp

paddyrg

I think many women like a ladies only area for the exact same reasons you do - away from the meatheads who are an annoyance to you, but may actually be intimidating to them. Legally, I don't know if it has been tested, but I can certainly see why they make commercial sense.

You could try talking to the management though on the grounds that they have withdrawn a part of the service you valued, and was the reason you joined their gym over one of the others, see what they have to say.

pimento

When I lived in London, our local swimming bath was closed to men on certain evenings. This was to enable the local women to bathe without being seen by men.

Not sure of the legality, but after an initial outcry, as far as I know it's still the case.

butler_helen

Our local pool has a families only swim. So being a single person I regularly can't swim - sadly it's council run so probably 'legal' despite being a change to my membership.

maninthestreet

Yes it's legal - the gym is a private members club, so this doesn't breach any equality laws.

halibut2209

It's not about equality. It's about services being reduced after the original contract was signed

fluffnutter

From what I can tell about gym contracts, you've got a snowball's chance in hell of getting a reduction in fees. You need to demonstrate that their actions (in making Gym 2 ladies' only) are causing you a material degradation in service. I'm not sure that merely having to wait to use a machine will be seen as a degradation (it certainly won't by them).

List all the ways the service is now poorer than when you first joined. Try to put a figure on this, say, it's 30% worse. Write to the gym with your reasons and a suggested discount and see what they say. Alternatively or additionally, petition all the men to do likewise. However, you say you're shy so this might not be easy for you to do and, unless you all threaten to take your custom elsewhere, it might not make much difference anyway. They might be more willing to listen to one person complaining (and take a small hit in fee reductions) than everyone (as it would cost them much more to reduce the fees for all men).

shaun_from_Africa

the gym is a private members club, so this doesn't breach any equality laws.

Are you sure about that?

http://www.equalities.gov.uk/equality_act_2010/faqs_on_the_equality_act_2010/associations.aspx

Will clubs have to do away with their men-only bars?
In a mixed-membership club, everyone will have to be treated equally, including in relation to access to its facilities. Clubs will, of course, be able to have a men-only bar if it is a men-only club.

Another thing to remember is that the BNP is also a members only club, and they had to change their "whites only" requirement as it breeched the equalities act, the same act that applies to the gym.

Googlewhacker

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

Are you sure about that?

http://www.equalities.gov.uk/equality_act_2010/faqs_on_the_equality_act_2010/associations.aspx



Another thing to remember is that the BNP is also a members only club, and they had to change their "whites only" requirement as it breeched the equalities act, the same act that applies to the gym.

Quite, this discrimination against men annoys me senseless and no one seems to do anything about it.

Optimist

It is legal for the gym to provide this single sex area and I am sure the gym will use the justification that serious embarrassment is likely to occur at the presence of a person of the opposite gender.

A little extreme but you could get around it by becoming a transexual. The gym would have to allow you to use the services of whatever gender you pronounced yourself or they would be in breach of the Equality law.