Madeleine Palmer
October 25, 2017 06:39
This is not a local organization you want to support.
My family and I purchased a home near Morgan Family YMCA, and decided to get ourselves a membership. My son loves swimming and gymnastics, and their facility offers classes. I mountaineer, and am training for a 3 week adventure in Bali this November.
One day while taking a break, the health and well- being coordinator, Chelsea Beck, approached me. She demanded that I zip up my jacket. She told me she once saw a man running shirtless on the treadmill. She said, "He was fat, hairy, and sweaty. Had he of been good looking I may not have said anything. But you know, no one wants to see that so I had to tell my boss." I explained that no, I do not know. I believe in body positivity. I zipped my jacket up, and made sure to never associate with her again.
The other health and well-being coordinator, Angel Rodriguez, interrupted my head stand once. He was walking with other people past an empty room I was in, and stopped to watch me. I could hear them speaking about me when he interrupted me to tell me I needed to put a shirt on. I informed him that my partner and I were just doing acro-yoga. It can be danergous to be held up by a partner upside down when you have a shirt on. He immediately understood, and gave me a pass.
After my son started swim classes the employees began harassing me in the pool area. A swim instructor approached me in the hot tub to tell me I wasn't allowed to wear my swim suit. She said it was inappropriate, and this was a family facility. I explained I have a family, and asked for the rule book that states such a thing. She came back and stated, "there's nothing in the rules about it. It is jut at our discretion." I called the senior aquatics director, Noah for an explanation. YMCA allows males to wear speedo's, but highly recommends one pieces for females. As much as this bothered me, it didn't give them jurisdiction to tell me not to wear a two-piece. Noah apologized and assured me he would have a meeting with the employees about it. Unfortunately, two months later Kendra Zartman (Aquatics Director) approached my son and I, and told me I wasn't allowed to wear my bathing suit. She said it was inappropriate, as this is a family facility. When I told her I already spoke to Noah about this issue, she said "And??" In a condescending voice, expecting me to conform.
At that point my son, partner, and I had had enough. We sat down with the Executive Director, Associate Executive Director, and Noah to discuss the issue of harassment. They were SO understanding. They noted all of the awful encounters I had been subjected to, and assured me that this would be fixed.
Not even a month later, I was approached again. The employee told me I wasn't allowed to wear my top, she said mid-driffs are not allowed to show. I looked up their rules, only to find nothing on mid-driffs. I was furious. My shirt was paired with spandex shorts & yoga pants. It showed just under 1" of skin, maybe more if you stalked me while I lifted weights. I sent a photo to the Regional Director, Phil, and Stephanie, the executive director. I told them that I was tired of being harassed, I was tired of having to defend myself when I trained. I was tired of being disrespected as a mother, and sexualized as a female body. I told them I couldn't understand why I was being targeted, I told them how much stress and anxiety it was causing me. Every time I walked through their facility I felt on edge, and worried about my next encounter with an employee. Some days I don't even go to the Y out of fear of being harassed for what I look like. I begged them to give me a resolution. They never responded to me.
My son deserves to be a part of a community that is supportive of its memebers, we all deserve that. I'm deeply disappointed in Phil's & Stephanie's complete disregard for its members and their bodies. They enable and support a culture where the employees stare at your body, and form personal judgments on you. Then, they harass you. They do not care about you.