The membership of Eris Montano, a transgender woman, at a Life Time Fitness gym in suburban St. Louis has sparked a protest, a planned boycott, and a state investigation. This controversy highlights the ongoing debate over transgender rights and public accommodations in Missouri.
Montano joined the gym on Sunday, seeking a supportive environment to get in shape. However, her use of the women’s locker room prompted immediate backlash. By Friday, Republican State Representative Justin Sparks had held a press conference outside the gym, urging an investigation into the fitness center. Protesters gathered, criticizing the gym for allowing Montano to use the women’s facilities.
“I have been contacted by a lot of people,” Sparks told The Associated Press. He emphasized his concerns about community safety and called the gender marker change process on state-issued IDs “inappropriate.” Sparks, who represents a neighboring district, denied organizing the protesters but said he supports their concerns.
Life Time spokesperson Natalie Bushaw confirmed that Montano had presented a driver’s license identifying her as female. “The Missouri Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex,” Bushaw stated. “Therefore, the member is to use Life Time’s women’s locker room.”
Montano, who formally changed her gender marker on her driver’s license through a process involving a medical provider, expressed her surprise at the controversy. “I just wanted to get in shape,” she said. Montano reported that while one woman confronted her in the sauna, accusing her of being a man, other patrons were supportive. “There have been way more people in the locker room who have come up to me to give me hugs and tell me I belong there,” she shared.
The situation escalated when Ellisville police received a report of alleged indecent exposure at the gym, which is currently under investigation. No charges have been filed. Attorney General Andrew Bailey responded swiftly, announcing an investigation into the gym and warning Life Time of potential criminal and civil liabilities.
“As Attorney General, I will vigorously defend and enforce Missouri’s laws,” Bailey wrote in a letter to the gym. He referenced a 2015 Missouri appeals court ruling against a man convicted of misdemeanor trespassing in a women’s gas station restroom as a precedent. However, this case involved a man who did not claim to be transgender and had been acting suspiciously.
Bailey’s announcement drew mixed reactions. Robert Fischer, spokesperson for LGBTQIA+ advocacy group PROMO, criticized the event as a political stunt. “When nondiscrimination laws are in place, it actually helps trans people thrive and doesn’t correlate to privacy or sexual violations,” Fischer said. He emphasized that Missouri laws should protect transgender individuals’ rights to use facilities matching their gender identity.
Montano has maintained her commitment to privacy and conflict avoidance. “If the only answer you have to people being trans is that they shouldn’t be trans, you don’t belong in the conversation,” she stated.
Life Time Fitness reiterated its commitment to following state law. “We recognize that there are varying opinions regarding locker room access,” a statement from the gym read. “The State of Missouri provides a mechanism for an individual to change their gender designation on their state-issued driver’s license. In this instance, the member presented a state-issued driver’s license identifying as female, and, based on Missouri laws, we cannot deny or discriminate on the basis of sex. Therefore, the member is to use Life Time’s women’s locker room.”
Ellisville police confirmed they are investigating the reported incident but stated that the gym had given Montano permission to use the women’s locker room, making a trespassing charge unlikely.
As the investigation proceeds, Montano’s case underscores the complexities of transgender rights and public accommodation laws. It also highlights the challenges faced by transgender individuals in accessing public spaces and the importance of supportive communities and allies in advocating for their rights.
The political implications of the controversy are significant. With voters set to decide between Bailey and Will Scharf, a member of former President Donald Trump’s legal team, in the upcoming Republican primary, the issue of transgender rights has become a focal point. In a GOP-dominated state, the primary winner will likely have a significant advantage in the general election.
As the debate continues, advocates for transgender rights stress the need for empathy, understanding, and legal protections. Montano’s experience serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggle for equality and the importance of upholding human rights for all individuals, regardless of gender identity.
