COLUMBIA, Missouri (AP) — A transgender woman’s use of the women’s locker room at a suburban St. Louis gym sparked a protest, a boycott plan and calls for an investigation by the state’s politically vulnerable Republican attorney general, who quickly complied with the demands.
The woman joined the gym on Sunday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
On Friday morning, a Republican state representative held a press 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 on Friday. He held the news conference but said he had not organized any protesters. Sparks represents a district that borders the gymnasium.
Life Time spokeswoman Natalie Bushow said the woman showed staff a copy of her driver’s license, which identifies her as a woman.
The gym member did not immediately respond to requests for comment from AP via Facebook on Friday. She told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that a woman approached her in the sauna on Monday and said she was a man and did not belong there.
“Missouri’s Human Rights Law prohibits discrimination based on sex,” Bushaw said in a statement. “Therefore, the member must use Life Time’s women’s locker room.”
Ellisville Police Captain Andy Vaughn said the department received a report of alleged sexual harassment at the gym on Friday and is currently investigating. No charges have been filed.
Also on Friday, Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced he was investigating the gym and sent Life Time a letter warning that its policies “potentially enable criminal conduct.”
“As Attorney General, I will vigorously defend and enforce Missouri laws,” Bailey wrote. “You will face both criminal and civil consequences.”
There is no law in Missouri that requires transgender people to use public restrooms. The state’s attorney general has limited power to bring charges, which is usually left to local prosecutors.
Bailey cited a 2015 Missouri appeals court ruling against a man who was convicted of trespassing in a gas station women’s restroom.
In this case, the man barricaded himself 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 disguise his voice when staff asked him to stop smoking.
The staff called the police, who arrived and asked the man why he was in the women’s restroom.
“The defendant replied that he had to have a bowel movement ‘urgently,'” the decision states. He had lotion and a pornographic magazine with him.
Ellisville police said the agency is not investigating a possible trespassing case because the private gym gave the member permission to use the women’s locker room. It’s unclear whether a property owner can be prosecuted under Missouri law for allowing trespassing on their property.
Voters will decide Tuesday whether to elect Bailey, who was appointed by Gov. Mike Parson, to another term or nominate Will Scharf as the Republican candidate. Scharf is a member of former President Donald Trump’s legal team.
In the GOP-dominated state, the winner of the primary will have a big advantage in the general election in November.
Summer Ballentine, The Associated Press
