Planet Fitness has seen a $400 million plunge in its market value. The popular fitness center franchiser has faced media, and now financial blowback, for canceling a woman’s membership after she complained about a biological male shaving in the women’s locker room at an Alaska gym location. Patricia Silva, the now former gym member, shared a photo of the man online as he groomed himself in the locker room.
According to Silva, she wasn’t the only individual present in the women’s locker room with the biological male. She says a female minor – approximately 12 years old – was also present. Silva recounted the young girl sitting in the corner of the locker room “in a towel, kind of freaked out that there’s a man shaving in her locker room.” Planet Fitness dismissed her concerns regarding the incident, according to Silva.
After Silva posted the photo of the man on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, Planet Fitness revoked her membership. “The member who posted on social media violated our mobile device policy that prohibits taking photos of individuals in the locker room, which resulted in their membership being terminated,” the gym franchise said in a statement.
The gym instructs staff not to discriminate against biological males who use women’s facilities. “Some members may feel uncomfortable with a transgender member using the same locker room facilities, bathrooms, showers, or other facilities/programs separated by sex,” their handbook reads, telling staff: “This discomfort is not a reason to deny access to the transgender member.”
Following Silva’s social media posts — and the subsequent revocation of her gym membership — Planet Fitness shares plunged 7.8 percent, sliding from $59.44 to $54.80 on Tuesday. The trading losses have led some market observers to conclude that Planet Fitness is receiving the ‘Bud Light treatment’ for their pro-transgender policies.
Woman in Planet Fitness claims she went into the bathroom and this man who thinks he’s a woman was in there shaving.
Why does @PlanetFitness allow men to use the women’s bathroom and invade women’s private spaces?? pic.twitter.com/qVJ0YUFQvc
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) March 12, 2024