By L.A. Williams
Christian Action League
April 19, 2024
A 38-year-old man who disrobed in the ladies’ dressing area of a Planet Fitness gym in Gastonia has been charged with indecent exposure in front of a minor after a female gym member called 911 to report the incident. Christopher Allan Miller, who reportedly asked a woman to lotion up with him and shower together, told those asking him to leave the locker room that he identified as female.
The April 4 ordeal, which happened in the presence of a 17-year-old girl, comes just weeks after a member of a Planet Fitness in Fairbanks, Alaska, photographed a man claiming to be a woman shaving in the female locker room. The complaining gym member had her membership revoked for taking the photo, which Planet Fitness said violated their mobile device policy.
The company prides itself on its “Judgment Free Zone,” and allows members to use any of its facilities that are separated by sex, including bathrooms and showers, based on their self-reported gender identity — a recipe for even more disastrous encounters, according to the Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League.
“Instances like this one at Planet Fitness in Gastonia highlight the pressing need for state policies that prioritize the safety and privacy of women and children in public spaces. While respecting individuals’ personal experiences, we cannot disregard the biological realities that underpin our understanding of sex and gender,” Creech said. “Allowing individuals to self-identify their gender without regard for biological distinctions can lead to confusion, workplace tensions, and, as evidenced, potential safety risks. No biological male or female should be allowed to enter a restroom or locker room of the opposite sex, no matter whether they mean to harass or not.”
Creech said that the concept of gender identity lacks scientific grounding and should not supersede the rights and comfort of others and that policies granting special privileges based solely on self-identified gender undermine the privacy and safety of female patrons and employees.
Planet Fitness member Betty Brice told WSOC that Miller’s claim should not be regarded as a reason to allow him inside the ladies’ room.
“I think a woman should be able to go into a woman’s bathroom without a man coming in saying he’s transgender,” she said.
Creech said that although some people try to draw parallels between transgender rights and the civil rights movement, the comparison falls short.
“Unlike racial discrimination, which is based solely on immutable characteristics, gender identity involves voluntary presentation and behavior. Citizens should have the right to make reasonable distinctions based on someone’s actions, particularly when they involve sensitive areas like restroom and changing room access,” he said. “Planet Fitness’ policy, while it may be well-intentioned, fails to adequately address the complexities and potential risks involved. Self-identification cannot be prioritized over biological distinctions without putting the safety and comfort of patrons in danger.”
Planet Fitness co-founder Michael Grondahl, who sold the business in 2012, said the idea behind calling it a “judgment-free zone” started in 1997 as a way to appeal to people who were intimidated by fitness centers or assumed they could not afford a fitness center membership.
“And now, you fast forward to what’s happening today, and ‘judgment-free zone’ means that, if you’re a man, you can use the women’s locker room. Just insane,” Grondahl told The Christian Post. He said the company he helped start, which has faced boycott threats as a result of its policy, has been “pretty much destroyed,” having lost respect across the country.
“There’s no common sense standing behind this,” he said of the policy.
Creech said the issue is much bigger than the financial health of a fitness company.
“Through the lenses of religion, reason, and reality, it becomes unequivocally evident our physical bodies are integral to our identity. The distinctions between male and female are not mere societal constructs but rather intrinsic aspects of human existence, guiding us in navigating life’s complexities with wisdom and discernment,” Creech said. “To dismiss these fundamental truths in favor of subjective notions of gender fluidity is to forsake the wisdom of millennia and risk undermining the very essence of our humanity.”
Miller’s bond was set at $25,000.
