Hey ladies, here's a fun fact for you: There are so many double standards for our bodies, there's literally no way for us to win! We can't even go to the gym! Isn't that super fun?
Actually, it's pretty not fun, as Jenna Vecchio from Ottawa, Canada found out earlier this week.
Jenna, who goes by the name Rose Nickels on Facebook, was at Movati Athletic club in Orléans, Ontario this weekend. She was wearing workout clothes, which meant leggings and a tank top. You know, like thousands of women do every day.
But her workout was cut short when a supervisor of the club -- of which Jenna is a member — reportedly told her to leave because her top was "inappropriate dress and is offensive to both the staff and other members."
... Yeah. Obviously, Jenna was not happy about this. She posted the whole story on her Facebook on Saturday.
Jenna wrote,
I will start by saying my tank top was no different than many other women's tank top at the club; except my chest size is much larger in appearance in comparison to my frame than many of the other women.
So, this is the supposedly wildly offensive top that got Jenna kicked out.
Note the pictures Jenna took of the gym's website, which shows women wearing just as "inappropriate" tops as her.
She was reportedly told by the supervisors that didn't matter, due to her larger chest size.
So... apparently women with large chests can't work out in public because that's so "offensive." Keepin' it classy, Movati Athletic club.
Jenna wrote in the Facebook post,
I felt humiliated and discriminated against due to my figure. I was singled out and it is unfair to say I cannot wear a tank top and other women can! Different figures means different rules?
Jenna is encouraging people to share her Facebook post and story in order to let the gym know this kind of treatment is not acceptable. The post has since been shared over 4,000 times.
In an email sent to Metro News in Ottawa, a spokesperson said,
[...] some members of our gym voiced complaints regarding Ms. Vecchio's attire as it made them feel uncomfortable [...]
So, here's my question to you, Movati Athletic. What's more "uncomfortable" for your gym members: a woman's body or publicly shaming a woman for having a body?
If your members are made uncomfortable by a tank top, I hate to break it to you, but you have some creepy AF people at your gym. You might want to address that instead.
The full statement from the gym read,
At Movati Athletic, we strive daily to create an atmosphere where all our members feel welcome comfortable and healthy. We ask all members to be respectful of each other when in the gym including wearing modest athletic attire and appropriate shoes, limiting cell phone usage and keeping the facility clean. It is important to us that all members have a positive experience at Movati particularly as we have members of various ages, varying levels of fitness and from different cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds. Our main goal is supporting all our members in the pursuit of a healthy and a positive lifestyle. While it may not have been intentional, Ms. Vecchio's attire was not as modest as she has suggested via the images she shared recently on Facebook and through media interviews, and caused multiple members to feel uncomfortable and voice their concerns to our staff. Following Ms. Vecchio's own social media postings on this matter, we conducted a thorough investigation which included first-hand accounts from members and other staff, and a follow-up meeting with Jenna herself, who seemed to leave the facility feeling as though she had expressed her position. Upon conclusion of our interviews, we stand by the original decision that confirms that Ms. Vecchio was dressed inconsistently with our code of conduct. The Movati staff never indicated Ms. Vecchio's style of shirt was not appropriate – it was the lack of coverage that was the issue as she exercised adjacent to other members. While in no way did we mean to embarrass Ms. Vecchio, we did feel it necessary to address the situation with her due to member discomfort. Although our staff were professional and discreet in their approach, and followed our process of not asking a member to leave or conclude a workout, she and her husband chose to escalate the matter publicly. While it is unfortunate that Ms. Vecchio felt she had a negative experience, it was certainly not Movati's intent. Our complete focus is a positive, respectful and healthy environment for all members as they pursue their fitness and wellness goals.
Citations: This Woman Claims Her Gym Body-Shamed Her For the Size of Her Chest (Cosmopolitan)
