Teen Girl Blasts YMCA Trans Policy after Encountering Naked Man in Women’s Locker Room
A female minor is speaking out against the YMCA’s transgender inclusion policy after she encountered a naked man while showering in the women’s locker room at a San Diego location.
Earlier this month, 17-year-old Rebecca Phillips was showering at the Santee facility after her swim workout when she noticed a naked man in the women’s locker room. Phillips immediately went back into the shower terrified and hid behind the curtain until he was gone, she told the Santee city council last week. Phillips then ran into the bathroom stall to quickly change before confronting the people at the front desk about the situation.
Choking up as she gave her testimony to the council, Phillips said, “I could only think of my five-year-old sister who I bring to this gym during the summer to enjoy their water slides…The locker room was supposed to be her safe haven to gossip with her friends and shower and change.”
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Phillips warned of potential child endangerment, noting “this is the YMCA, where hundreds of children spend their summer afternoons in child-care camps.”
YMCA personnel confirmed to her that the facility’s transgender policy allows men to shower in the women’s locker room as long as they’re not registered sex offenders, Phillips claimed.
“I was made to feel as though I had done something wrong when I talked to people at the YMCA,” she told the council members. “The indecent exposure of a male to a female minor was an inconvenience to them.”
The YMCA of San Diego County told KUSI News in a statement last week that it prioritizes the comfort and safety of all members who attend the gym.
“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.
The YMCA pledged to review locker room floor plans across all facilities it runs with the goal of providing access to additional privacy for certain members who request it. It did not mention whether it has any plans to rescind or revise the transgender policy.
Parents with a group called SanteeParents4Choice are reportedly planning to protest the incident at a “rally for women’s and girls’ rights” at the Santee YMCA on Tuesday night. Demonstrators will demand that the YMCA protects the privacy of women and girls, East County Magazine reported.
On Monday, the YMCA of San Diego County issued a revised press release, obtained by KUSI, apologizing to the child for her traumatic experience.
“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, while affirming that it is “committed to diversity, equity and inclusion.”
In December, San Diego Council members announced a resolution declaring the city a safe space for transgender-identifying and gender fluid children.
