New Jersey Spa Adjusts Policy for Transgender Women

A well-known Korean spa located in New Jersey, where nudity is traditionally required, has updated its policies to allow transgender women to access the women’s area, even if they have not undergone surgery. This change followed a lawsuit that was brought against the facility.

King Spa in Palisades Park recently made this shift after a transgender woman claimed she was denied entry to women’s facilities due to her male anatomy, as detailed in court documents. The revised policy clarifies that guests can now use locker rooms that align with their government-issued gender identity.

If a visitor feels uncomfortable sharing facilities with a transgender individual who may have different genitalia, they have the option to request a private area or choose not to use shared facilities again.

This change comes on the heels of a complaint filed by Alexandra Gebert in 2022. She alleged that she was removed from the spa after expressing her discomfort with using the men’s area.

Upon arriving at the spa with a friend, Gebert stated she was given a men’s wristband despite being identified as female on her New Jersey ID. Although she was eventually permitted into the women’s locker room, staff soon questioned her about whether she still had male genitalia and if she had undergone any surgeries.

Gebert acknowledged possessing male anatomy and was subsequently asked to leave the women’s section, returning to the men’s accommodations instead.

After her complaints, the spa offered her access to the women’s facilities as long as she wore a swimsuit, which she declined. Records indicate that the spa and Gebert reached a confidential settlement in August, which included changes to their policies and additional training for employees.

The modified guidelines state: “All clients will have access to gender-separated facilities corresponding to their gender identity, whether or not they are transgender and regardless of their physical characteristics.”

The policy also notes: “Clients who choose to use single-sex areas where nudity is permitted do so with the awareness that the bodies present may not conform to typical gender expectations.”

Furthermore, it emphasizes that no client can force another to avoid using these spaces based on personal discomfort. The spa will not entertain requests to prohibit others from utilizing shared areas unless equally applied to all patrons.

Details surrounding the exact implementation timeline of this new policy and any previous pushback remain unclear. Attempts to contact King Spa for comment have yet to yield a response.