YMCA of Metro Chicago announced last week that its facilities will begin letting biological males who claim to be female use the women’s restrooms, showers, and locker rooms.
The new policy affects some twenty-one YMCA facilities throughout the Chicago area.
The Chicago Tribune writes,
A mom at a suburban YMCA recently reported to employees that she was unnerved to find a teenager who appeared to be male using the women’s locker room.
But YMCA staff later learned the teen was transgender and determined the youth had every right to access the women’s facilities.
“From (the mother’s) perspective, there was a man in the locker room,” said Rae Ulrich, senior vice president of marketing for the YMCA of Metro Chicago. “But there wasn’t. There was a transgender individual in the locker room.”
The YMCA of Metro Chicago has since released a letter outlining its transgender policy. The letter says the Y “supports every member having the opportunity to use the locker room and restroom they select based on their gender identity, or private facilities–as available–if that is their preference. Where not yet available, we are in the process of adding them.”
In other words, biological males who claim to be female will be able to enter and use restrooms, locker rooms, and showers alongside women and girls at the YMCA–and vice versa. If a woman is uncomfortable with that, she is responsible for finding a different room or facility to use at the Y.
This policy tracks with the Obama Administration’s “guidelines” for public schools effectively saying schools must let biological males who claim to be female use the girls’ restrooms and locker rooms at school.
The YMCA went on to say in its letter,
“We recognize our commitment in support of the rights of all individuals can cause some to feel uncomfortable and can raise questions about safety. I want you to know that the safety of all members and guests is always our primary concern at the Y. Let me be clear: the expanded inclusion policy doesn’t give anyone a new opportunity to behave inappropriately.”
How can the YMCA hope to prevent anyone from behaving “inappropriately” under this new policy? If a man claims he is a woman, the staff at the Y cannot stop him from entering the women’s shower facility under this new policy.
We have already seen several examples of individuals exploiting policies and situations like this one. By the time YMCA staff members are notified of “inappropriate” behavior in a restroom or locker room, it may be too late.
Policies like this one defy common sense. They put radical ideology ahead of the safety of men, women, and children.
Below is contact information for YMCA locations in Arkansas. You can use it to contact your area YMCA to discourage them from adopting policies like those of YMCA facilities in Chicago.
Northwest Arkansas Family YMCA
5214 Village Parkway
Rogers. AR 72758
(479) 273-9622
membership@ymcanwa.org
The Hot Springs Family YMCA
130 Werner Street
Hot Springs Arkansas
(501) 623-8803
YMCA of Warren and Bradley County
207 N Main St
Warren, AR 71671
(870) 226-2404
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According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, Target’s CEO does not seem to regret the company’s decision to invite men into the women’s changing areas and restrooms at its stores–but he does regret the fact the policy was so widely publicized.