17-Year-Old Girl Calls Out YMCA Trans Policy After Seeing Naked Man Showering In Women's Locker Room, YMCA Does Nothing
Men can shower and expose themselves in women's locker rooms, even with minor girls present, as long as they're not registered sex offenders according to the YMCA of San Diego transgender policy. Rebecca Phillips, a 17-year-old, witnessed this firsthand and has since begun a fight against the YMCA's disgusting policy.
Earlier this month, Phillips got out of the shower at the YMCA Santee facility and noticed a naked man walking around the locker room. Speaking to the Santee city council last week, Philliips explained that she immediately went back into the shower and hid behind the curtain until the man was gone.
While Phillips was scared in her own right, she couldn't help but think about her five-year-old sister. She participates in various activities at the YMCA and uses the very same locker room.
“I could only think of my five-year-old sister who I bring to this gym during the summer to enjoy their water slides," Phillips said, fighting back tears.
"This is the YMCA, where hundreds of children spend their afternoons in childcare camps. This is the YMCA where my little sister took gymnastics lessons. And the locker room was supposed to be her safe haven to gossip with her friends and shower and change.”
Phillips Family Gets Lame Response
Phillips asked YMCA management what their policy was regarding transgenders. According to her, management explained that the man she saw naked in the locker room can shower wherever he pleased as long as he was not on the California sex registry.
"I was made to feel as though I had done something wrong," Phillips said of her experience speaking with management. "Somehow, the indecent exposure of a male to a female minor was an inconvenience to them."
Phillips said that her father tried to speak to management, but was denied. He did get a call back from the director of YMCA membership for San Diego County. According to Phillips, the director told her dad that she was not in any danger at the time of the incident, and that she was safe.
YMCA Of San Diego Not Protecting Women, Minors
The YMCA of San Diego shared a comment about the situation to KUSI News explaining that they "strive to meet the needs of all individuals," but it certainly doesn't sound like "all individuals" include teenage girls.
“As a community focused organization, we strive to meet the needs of all individuals. We recognize that birth and gender identity are sensitive subjects. We rely on subject matter experts, laws, and guidelines established by the State of California to ensure our policies are welcoming and respectful for all community members,” the organization said.
Days later, the YMCA shared a revised press release after realizing their initial comment was deplorable. They attempted to backtrack on their initial statement.
“We understand that the minor involved felt hurt and frustrated. And we wholeheartedly apologize for not providing her with the level of support she deserves,” the YMCA said. This while affirming that it is “committed to diversity, equity and inclusion.”
The YMCA of San Diego did not mention revising any aspect of their transgender policy moving forward.
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