TW: This article mentions sexual assault.
I remember following Natalee on social media about five years ago now. I was new to my fitness journey (in the sense that I hadn't even been to the gym yet because I had crippling gym anxiety), and Natalee's videos felt so empowering to me. She would go to the gym in crazy outfits, like the MSCHF Big Red Boots, just to prove that nobody is paying attention to you in the gym, so don't worry about making a fool of yourself.
When Natalee announced that she was starting to gather funds for a women's-only-gym, I was ecstatic. With it being in London, I'd never be able to attend myself, but I felt so much joy for the women that would be able to. I bought several of Natalee's workout plans and guides to contribute to the donations for her gym & to support what seemed to me to be a strong and inspiring woman.
Over the course of the next few years, Natalee would post multiple videos and statements explaining that trans women are women and that they would be completely welcome into her women's-only-gym once it's ready to open. However, in a video uploaded on March 9th, Natalee says her gym will be "operating as a single sex space for biological women".
...How disappointing.
It is simply cruel to portray yourself online as an activist for transgender women, collect donations from transgender women themselves, as well as others who wholeheartedly support transgender women, just to backtrack on what you said. That's bad on it's own, but to say you're not transphobic in the same video that you publicly exclude transgender women from your women's-only-gym and insinuate that they're a threat? It doesn't make any sense. I regret ever donating money to Natalee and her gym.
That's bad on it's own, but to say you're not transphobic in the same video that you publicly exclude transgender women from your women's-only-gym and insinuate that they're a threat?
Now, whilst people online run rampant and are terrorising trans women, you sit back and just watch. If you really supported trans women, Natalee, why would you not stand up for them whilst your patrons spew utter transphobia at innocent women. JK Rowling is supporting you - what more needs to be said?
The term "biological women" can be transphobic in itself, and is often used as a dog-whistle for other transphobes - "cisgender women" gets her point across sufficiently, without being horribly insensitive. There are a number of different factors that make up one's sex, so biology will never be enough to determine someone's gender identity.
Natalee's reasoning for making the gym strictly for cisgender women stems from her own experience of being sexually assaulted by a man in the gym. This is a horrible experience that nobody should ever have to endure. She explains, to tackle violence against women that she will introduce self-defence classes. But Natalee speaks on this subject as if it is only cisgender women who are at risk of harassment or violence. Statistically, transgender women are subject to more violence than cisgender women. And I'm not trying to make this some sort of competition, but trans women are crying out for your help, and you're shunning them away. Trans women deserve to feel safe too.
But Natalee speaks on this subject as if it is only cisgender women who are at risk of harassment or violence.
Only 0.55% of England & Wales' population identify as transgender, so how are they taking up so much space in people's mind, when they don't even make up that much space in society? How many times have you met a transgender woman in the gym? Now, how many times have you been harassed by a transgender woman in the gym? How are transgender women such a problem to you that you have to actively campaign to exclude them from certain spaces? Your hatefulness does not make any logical or statistical sense.
There's an argument that if transgender women were to be allowed in the gym, Muslim women would therefore be unable to attend due to their religion regarding who can see them not wearing a hijab. However, if Natalee permits recording on phones in her gym (which is highly likely since that is her day job), it would put Muslim women at risk of being uploaded online without their hijab, regardless of the presence of transgender women. Many Muslim women have took to social media to express their upset about non-Muslim women speaking on their behalf and using their religion as a scapegoat for transphobia, when a lot of them fully support the inclusion of transgender women.
And how is all of this is going to be policed, Natalee? I would love to know. Because transphobia doesn't only affect trans women - it affects cis women too. You think you're safe until you're a cisgender woman who is taller, or has higher testosterone levels, or simply looks androgynous, and then you'll be subject to the same discrimination yourselves. You will only be able to prove your "innocence" through a complete invasion of your privacy.
Cisgender women love entering queer spaces and claim it's to feel safe. They enjoy the culture that queer people have created, but refuse to extend the same sentiment when it suits them. Natalee's actions are forcing us back into the sexist box created by the patriarchy. Girls must wear dresses and have long hair. Men have short hair and are muscular. Open your eyes and realise that transgender people are not your enemy... realise who the real misogynists are.