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A trans-identifying male was refused membership at Fernwood Fitness, a female-only gym. While he hinted at legal action, the gym defended its stance, emphasising the need to protect women’s physical and emotional safety.

A male who wishes he was female has shared his disappointment at being refused a membership at the female-only gym Fernwood Fitness. He has also hinted at legal action against the gym because it prioritises the needs of females, resulting in him having to find another gym.

Fernwood Fitness was first established as a female only gym in 1989 for women who wanted to work out minus the presence of male bodies. There are a wide range of reasons why female gym goers would prefer single-sex spaces. Bodies matter when it comes to working out and accessing change rooms.

It isn’t as though this man can’t access other gyms — he simply wants to fulfil his fantasy that others accept him as a woman while he gets to work out and change in the presence of women.

Fernwood Fitness Stands Firm on Sex Policy

The man took his complaint to an online forum to try and garner support. As reported by Daily Mail Australia and Australasian Leisure Management:

The rejected gym-goer asked, “I have no idea if this is a known problem I should have seen coming with Fernwood, but it surely seems to be against Victorian discrimination law?

“I’ve not been out for all that long, this is the first time discrimination has happened so directly and personally, (it) caught me off guard.”

Fellow trans-identified males expressed support, but Fernwood Fitness refused to budge. The report continued:

Commenting on the matter to Australasian Leisure Management, Fernwood Fitness advised “(we) proactively reached out to the person in question to acknowledge her as an individual and to talk about her experience. This outreach was made with genuine care, recognising the personal nature of her enquiry. Fernwood appreciates the courage it can take to enquire about a membership as a transgender woman and acknowledges that the experience may have been hurtful or disappointing. Fernwood Fitness extends its sincere empathy in response.

“At the same time, Fernwood Fitness has a responsibility to consider the needs of its broader member community. A significant number of Fernwood Fitness members come from backgrounds where experiences of domestic violence, sexual assault, cultural beliefs, or religious practices necessitate access to female-only spaces based on sex. For many of these women, such spaces are not a preference but a requirement for their emotional and physical safety and for accessing the health and fitness services they need.

“This is not a reflection on personal identity, but rather a commitment to maintaining the integrity of a space that many women rely on. Fernwood is currently reviewing all relevant legal requirements.“

Fernwood Fitness is a women-only gym in Australia with over 90,000 members nationwide. They recently denied membership to a man who identifies as trans. A spokesperson for Fernwood said in part: Fernwood Fitness has a responsibility to consider the needs of its broader member… pic.twitter.com/pSVyRzCnYg

— Irene BritUSA (@irenebritusa) May 16, 2025

Lessons From Fernwood Fitness’ Firm Stance

No male can change his sex. No male is or can be a woman.

Moreover, males who forcefully try to make others accept them as a woman are behaving as domineering males do.

This man can’t take no for an answer. He can’t respect the needs of females. He can’t do the right thing and go to a unisex gym.

In doing so, he demonstrates what so many men who wish they were women do — they want to dominate women and women’s spaces at the expense of women.

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Republished with thanks to Binary Australia. Originally titled ‘Fernwood female only gym says no to males’.