Transgender woman’s use of gym locker room sparks protests, investigations in Missouri

A transgender woman’s use of a women’s locker room at a suburban St. Louis gym sparked a protest, a proposed boycott and calls for an investigation by the state’s politically vulnerable Republican attorney general, which quickly complied.

The woman joined the gym on Sunday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

On Friday morning, a Republican state lawmaker held a news conference outside the gym and protesters gathered to criticize the fitness center, the newspaper said.

“I’ve been contacted by a lot of people,” Rep. Justin Sparks told The Associated Press Friday. He held the news conference but said he did not organize any protests. Sparks represents a House district neighboring the gym.

Life Time spokeswoman Natalie Bushaw said the woman showed staff a copy of her driver’s license, which identified her as female.

AP requests for comment via Facebook to the gym member were not immediately answered Friday. She told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that a woman approached her in the sauna Monday and told her she was a man and did not belong there.

“The Missouri Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex,” Bushaw said in a statement. “Therefore, the member must use the Life Time women’s locker room.”

Ellisville Police Capt. Andy Vaughn said the agency received a report Friday of alleged indecent exposure at the gym that is under investigation. No charges have been filed.

Also Friday, Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced he was investigating the gym and sent a letter warning Life Time that its policies “promote potentially criminal behavior.”

“As attorney general, I will vigorously defend and enforce Missouri laws,” Bailey wrote. “You face potential liabilities both criminal and civil.”

Missouri does not have a law regulating transgender people’s access to public restrooms, and the state attorney general has limited authority to prosecute cases. That task is typically left to local prosecutors.

Bailey cited a 2015 Missouri Court of Appeals decision against a man convicted of trespassing in a women’s gas station restroom.

In this case, the man took refuge in a women’s restroom at a gas station and smoked cigarettes for several hours. He did not claim to be a woman or transgender, but he tried to hide his voice when staff asked him to stop smoking.

The workers called the police, who arrived and asked the man why he was in the women’s restroom.

“The appellant responded that he really needed to defecate,” according to the judgment. He was carrying lotion and a pornographic magazine.

Ellisville police said the agency was not investigating a possible trespass because the private gym had allowed the member to use the women’s locker room. It’s unclear whether a property owner can be prosecuted under Missouri law for allowing a trespass on his or her property.

Voters will decide Tuesday whether to re-elect Bailey, appointed by Gov. Mike Parson, or nominate Will Scharf as the Republican nominee. Scharf is a member of former President Donald Trump’s legal team.

In this GOP-dominated state, the primary winner has a huge advantage in November’s general election.