Trans Activists Prioritize Predators Over Women’s Safety
Corporate America seems more interested in protecting the feelings of a few trans-identified men than keeping women safe in public spaces.Corporate America seems more interested in protecting the feelings of a few trans-identified men than keeping women safe in public spaces.Planet Fitness member arrested for reportedly walking around 'completely naked' inside women's locker room with minor present
A man was arrested after he allegedly stripped naked in the women's locker room at a Planet Fitness gym in North Carolina and refused to leave even though a child was likely present.
Last Thursday, Christopher Allan Miller, a 38-year-old man sporting a beard, reportedly created quite a disturbance at a Planet Fitness in Gastonia, North Carolina, a city of 80,000 residents about a half-hour west of Charlotte. A woman inside the women's locker room there called 911 to report that Miller was allegedly "walking around, showing us his penis, and he won't leave."
She likewise told the dispatcher that the man claimed to be transgender: "It's a man, but he says he identifies as a woman." She also reiterated that Miller was "completely naked," wearing "literally nothing."
Other reports indicate that Miller also engaged in harassment, asking a woman to shower with him and petitioning her to rub him down with lotion. It is not clear whether this woman is the same woman who called 911.
In any case, Miller was arrested and booked into the Gaston County jail. His sex has been listed as a "male" on jail records.
Miller has been charged with one count of felony indecent exposure. In North Carolina, indecent exposure is usually a misdemeanor offense — with one notable exception: when it occurs "in the presence of any other person less than 16 years of age." In other words, a young girl was likely inside the locker room at the time Miller allegedly exposed himself.
He remains in custody on a $25,000 bond.
Betty Brice, another Planet Fitness member, said she does not want men sharing the women's restrooms and locker rooms at the gym. "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.
Brice may want to consider switching gyms, since Planet Fitness has a policy of allowing members to use the facilities — including bathrooms and showers — that correspond to their "self-reported gender identity." This policy has already cost one Alaskan woman her membership after she reported a man shaving in a women's restroom at Planet Fitness last month.
It may have also cost the global company hundreds of millions in stock value. After the incident in Alaska made headlines, Planet Fitness' stock value dipped $400 million in just a week and 13.59% in a month, Blaze News previously reported.
A spokesperson for the Gastonia location told WSOC-TV that employees there took immediate action to ensure the safety of the other members and are continuing to cooperate with law enforcement. The location has a zero-tolerance policy regarding harassment, the spokesperson said.
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6 Planet Fitness gyms in Florida evacuated over bomb threats
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office responded to at least six bomb threats alleged to be part of a nationwide hoax perpetrated against Planet Fitness.
Planet Fitness, a discount gym chain, has been at the center of controversy for weeks and is now allegedly being subjected to a series of bomb threats.
At least 17 Planet Fitness locations have reported recent bomb threats, according to Action News Jax. Police in Jacksonville, Florida, have investigated several of the threats, all taking place within a small area in the city. First Coast News also reported multiple locations in Orlando, Florida, received similar threats, all of which led to evacuations.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said that it had "responded to several locations in the city in reference to a reported bomb investigation which has since been determined not to be a threat. Occupants of those locations voluntarily evacuated and JSO K9s responded."
The gym chain is known for low prices, pizza and bagel giveaways, and the "lunk" alarm; which sounds an air raid siren any time a member "grunts, drops weights, or judges" another member.
However, the fitness chain had a rough March 2024 when it dropped $400 million in stock in just five days on the heels of banning Patricia Silva, who complained about a biological male shaving in the female locker room.
The Daily Mail revealed Planet Fitness allegedly has a transgender policy that the "discomfort" of sharing a change room with a member of the opposite sex is "not a reason to deny access to the transgender member."
Woman in Planet Fitness claims she went into the bathroom and this man who thinks he\u2019s a woman was in there shaving.\n\nWhy does @PlanetFitness allow men to use the women\u2019s bathroom and invade women\u2019s private spaces??— (@)
Following the incident, Silva claimed that Planet Fitness "canceled [her] membership and allowed the pedo to stay!!" Silva did not offer evidence that the individual in question was a pedophile.
In reaction to the events, Elon Musk responded to a post about the woman and said that Planet Fitness "sounds like a creepy place."
@libsoftiktok Planet Fitness sounds like a creepy place— (@)
The alleged Planet Fitness operations manual also stated that staff should "work with members and employees to address" the discomfort of transgender members "using the same locker room facilities" as the opposite sex.
The gym also reportedly wrote that it hoped to "foster a climate of understanding" while directing its staff to adhere to "names, titles," and "pronouns" of transgender members.
For example, the alleged document said that a "transgender woman shall be referred to by her preferred name and female pronouns," and a transgender man should be referred to by "his preferred name and male pronouns."
"Planet Fitness reserves the right to terminate a person's membership immediately for any violation of this policy," the page read, with a date of September 2014.
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Planet Fitness loses $400 million in stock value after banning woman who complained about male in female locker room: Report
Planet Fitness lost $400 million in stock value in just five days on the heels of banning a woman who complained about a biological male shaving in the female locker room, the Daily Mail reported.
The company's value dropped from $5.3 billion on March 14 to $4.9 billion on Tuesday, the outlet said, and its shares were down 13.59% compared to a month ago. The Daily Mail used another set of figures to describe the setback, noting that Planet Fitness' stock fell by 7.8% on Tuesday, going from its opening price of $59.44 to a five-month low of $54.80, before rebounding slightly.
TipRanks reported that investors took nearly 4% of Planet Fitness' market cap Tuesday, and the company has lost 23.52% of its share price over the past year.
— (@)
What's the background?
This all comes after Planet Fitness doubled down on its decision to ban member Patricia Silva, who complained that a "trans woman" was shaving in the female locker room while a girl — who could have been as young as 12 years old — was sitting in the corner wrapped in a towel and appearing distressed over the biological male's presence.
— (@)
Three days later, Libs of TikTok posted an update, noting that "the woman who exposed a man shaving in an Alaska Planet Fitness women's locker room with a 12-year-old present just had her membership revoked. Why is @PlanetFitness prioritizing a man with a p*nis using a woman's private space over women's and girls' safety?"
According to the Daily Mail, Planet Fitness said that even though some members may feel uncomfortable sharing facilities in this way, "This discomfort is not a reason to deny access to the transgender member."
What's more, the outlet said Planet Fitness revoked Silva's membership and filed a police report against her, saying she violated gym policy by taking photos and/or videos in the locker room.
A statement from the gym on the matter indicates its staff "shall strive to address transgender members with names, titles, pronouns, and other terms consistent with their self-reported gender identity, if reasonably known to the Planet Fitness staff," the Daily Mail said, adding that a "transgender woman shall be referred to by her preferred name and female pronouns" and a "transgender man shall be referred to by his preferred name and male pronouns."
In addition, the statement also said Planet Fitness "reserves the right to terminate a person's membership immediately for any violation of this policy," the outlet reported.
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Man repeatedly stabbed by hatchet-wielding suspect decides he's had enough. Gym members provide added muscle.
A man was stabbed several times Tuesday when trying to get to his car outside a shopping center in Corona, California. When walked at knifepoint into a Planet Fitness, the victim decided to bring his hatchet-wielding captor back down to earth — and gym members proved more than happy to assist.
According to the Corona Police Department, 30-year-old Ronald Vikash Chand of Santa Ana allegedly approached a 41-year-old man around 9:20 a.m. in the parking lot outside a Planet Fitness at 3685 Grand Oaks.
KABC-TV reported that the victim began recording the suspect, having observed him behaving erratically. This apparently enraged Chand, who allegedly blocked the victim's car with his own and smashed in its window with a hatchet.
The attacker proceeded to lunge at the victim with a hatchet and a knife, stabbing him several times, said police. Although blood had been spilled, the ordeal was far from over.
Chand allegedly walked his bloody victim into the lobby of the Planet Fitness at knifepoint, where he berated gym members.
In a shocking video of the incident, the suspect accuses someone of taking advantage of him before yelling, "Give me water! I need water!"
KTTV-TV reported that John Keene, a gym-goer, was among those who ultimately stepped up when the moment presented itself.
"I was on the stairclimber and I heard screaming behind me," said Keene. "At first, I thought it was an argument, so I kind of ignored it and after about a minute, it got louder, so I turned off the machine and got down to walk over there."
On closer examination, Keene saw the blades and realized this was no mere argument.
"He [the suspect] had his arm around the victim and the victim was covered in blood. Three other guys were all walking over at the same time. There were four of us," Keene told KTTV.
In the video of the incident, the suspect can be seen with a knife in his raised hand, poised to stab the victim again. However, Chand's focus temporarily shifts along with his stabbing hand as he pivots to yell at onlookers.
The victim seized upon that fleeting distraction, yanking the hatchet to one side and engulfing the suspect in a tackle. Under the victim's weight, the 145-pound attacker folded to the ground like cardboard.
Although the victim initially managed to overwhelm his attacker, Chand allegedly continued lashing out, prompting Keene and others to intervene.
"We all just bounced on him and disarmed him and held him down for the police. It kinda happened fast," said Keene.
"I got him on his back and I held his arm down so Steve could take the knife from him," added the Good Samaritan. "And then there was hatchet there too and we handed it to somebody else, and they took it away from the scene."
"I wasn't scared at that moment. I felt the adrenaline after, but because the victim acted, we didn't have time to decide or think about it. I was involved before I thought about it," added Keene.
None— (@)
Rachele Wolfe witnessed the bloody scene. She told KTTV, "It was terrifying. I was afraid. I didn't know what was going to happen. It seems like a safe place. You come, you work out, you leave, but it just goes to show you, you're not safe anywhere."
The victim suffered multiple stab wounds to his upper body and was taken to a local hospital for medical treatment. CPD noted that he has since been released.
Chand was similarly taken to hospital with minor injuries, but then booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center.
Chand has been charged with attempted murder and two misdemeanor counts of assault with a deadly weapon resulting in great bodily injury. His bail was set at $1,000,000.
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Crisis at Planet Fitness: $400M Lost Over Trans Controversy