My feminist rage does pull-ups

[rachelmanija]

I found out yesterday that my YMCA does have an assisted pull-up machine... in the men's locker room! I would never have known if Adrian, whom I had gotten in on a visitor's pass, hadn't tipped me off!

I complained. They said it was the only place in the entire building where they had room for it. I suggested the roof (where the rest of the big machines are, and where there is definitely room.) They said no one uses it anyway. I pointed out that in the men's locker room, none of the female members have any opportunity to use it, and would not even know that it exists. They repeated that there is no room anywhere else. I asked them what their procedure was for filing a gender-discrimination complaint.

They said I needed to talk to the supervisor, who wouldn't be back till Tuesday. GRRRRR. I plan to keep complaining up through the ranks until they move the damn machine to where BOTH GENDERS can use it.

Comments

[movingfinger.livejournal.com]

The "we don't have room" thing simply doesn't sound plausible to me. Any gym that has one, has room for it on the floor.

ETA: "No one uses it anyway" sounds false too, because at the gym down the street it's certainly used enough that a person might have to wait or (esp. Saturdays) alternate sets. As many women as men are on it, easily. It's such a great complement to other upper-body work!

[lady-ganesh.livejournal.com]

At my gym, I see more women than men using it-- men are more likely to use the free weights.