A woman has posted online about reportedly being asked to leave the gym because her workout outfit showed “three inches of waist”, suggesting that this shows that “double standards and sexism still exists.”
“Today I was told I’d have to leave the gym if I didn’t put a shirt on with no explanation,” Julia Maren, from Tennessee in the US, wrote on her Instagram page.
“My workout was interrupted and I was told to take out my headphones for someone to tell me they could “get me a shirt if I need one” and that if I wanted to continue my workout I had to put one on.... WHAT?!”
Maren did not name the gym in question but went on to further outline the differing experience that men face while in the gym.
She cited research by Fitness Magazine that found 65 per cent of women avoid the gym from fear of being judged while only 36 per cent of men report feeling this way.
“So you’re telling me that because three inches of my waist is exposed that I’m not welcome in the gym but meanwhile f**king Chad is over there with a cutout that shows his whole nipple? Got it,” she posted.
“Thank you for taking time out of your day to let me know that double standards and sexism still exists. If the problem is that I will be a distraction, why isn’t the accountability on the one who is distracted?”
Maren also argued that these double standards and “policing of women’s bodies” go way deeper than just gym apparel, pointing out the differences in expectations between men and women from a young age.
“This is a deep rooted issue because I could easily talk about middle school uniform policies, prom dress codes, and evidently gym attire. When will we stop policing women’s bodies and hold the others accountable for sexualising them?"
“And when will we start allowing women to feel comfortable enough in the gym to wear whatever the f**k is comfortable to them in an otherwise already uncomfortable environment?!”
She closed out her post with a suggestion that she dresses in a similar gym outfit that is acceptable for men: “All I’m saying is that I’m showing up in a bro tank with my nipple out next time".
