Controversy at LA Gym Over Bathroom Access

A transgender woman at the heart of a heated debate regarding a gym bathroom incident in Los Angeles asserts her right to use female facilities, stating that she feels uneasy in transgender-only locker rooms.

Alexis Black has come forward following claims by singer-songwriter Tish Hyman, who alleged she was removed from Gold’s Gym in Beverly Hills after confronting someone she referred to as a “man” in the women’s restroom.

Footage of their confrontation spread rapidly across social media, where Hyman accused a transgender individual of inappropriate behavior in the women’s locker room.

Black, who is transitioning but still has male anatomy, has denied these allegations, asserting that she was misrepresented. She spoke to media outlets, stating, “I was fully interviewed and denied any inappropriate behavior.” She emphasized that, contrary to Hyman’s claims, it was actually the other women in the locker room who supported her during the encounter.

“The truth at this point is far from what she claims,” Black remarked. “I’ve felt safe and welcomed by women in the locker room, especially when she responded aggressively towards me.”

Black confidently stated, “I know I’m a woman.” She noted that she began hormone therapy earlier this year, has legally changed her name, and her identification reflects her gender identity, marking her as female at the gym.

She defended her right to use women’s facilities, adding that being forced into men’s or only transgender spaces would make her feel discriminated against. “We’re not going to put trans women with trans men just because we’re trans,” she said, calling it a new form of discrimination.

The incident escalated after Hyman, 42, from the Bronx, shared a video of her shouting at Black to leave the women’s locker room, emphasizing her discomfort. “Stay out of the women’s locker room! He needs to have his gym membership revoked!” she asserted in the video.

Hyman claimed that shortly thereafter, gym management revoked her membership. Witnesses recorded her yelling at gym staff during her removal. She expressed her frustration, saying, “I’m naked in front of a guy without permission, but I’m the one who gets kicked out of the gym!”

Interestingly, the gym has recently been acquired by EōS Fitness, but it has yet to comment on the unfolding controversy.