A big debate is happening now, and this time it’s about Planet Fitness. The gym chain is getting a lot of criticism after a video went viral. It started when a woman in Alaska posted a photo of a transgender woman in the women’s locker room at the Fairbanks branch. She was angry and said the company was letting “men” into a space she believed should be only for cisgender women.
The photo showed the transgender woman shaving at a sink in the locker room. After that, the woman who took the picture made a video complaining about it. The video quickly spread online and started a huge discussion.
Because of what happened, the local Planet Fitness canceled the woman’s membership. The transgender person in the photo was not punished. Planet Fitness stood by its decision, explaining that their rules let people use the locker room that matches their gender identity. However, they also said that if anyone behaves in a harmful or dishonest way, their membership can be taken away too.
Now, more photos of the same transgender woman using the gym locker room are being shared. This has led some conservative groups to urge people to cancel their Planet Fitness memberships across the country.
This backlash has had a major impact. Planet Fitness’s stock price dropped sharply, falling from $66 to about $56 in just 12 days. The company’s total value also dropped by around $400 million, going from $5.3 billion to $4.9 billion in only five days.