Here is the "My Northwest" Article from 2015.
Now they claim to follow “state law” but for both parties? Or just the trans individual?
“YMCA explains changing its transgender policy after more than 1,000 complaints”
Following complaints from the public, Bob Ecklund, President and CEO of the YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap county, issued a statement on Oct. 5 saying the organization is modifying the policy for transgender individuals in locker rooms and restrooms in “family facilities.” Ecklund said the change was to ensure youth are not exposed to the opposite sex in their locker room.
Ecklund said the new policy states that “transgender members in transition will use private locker rooms for dressing and showering. Transgender members may use standalone restrooms that align with their gender identification.” The change applies to: Gordon Family YMCA, Mel Korum Family YMCA, Lakewood Family YMCA, Morgan Family YMCA, Tom Taylor Family YMCA, Bremerton Family YMCA, Haselwood Family YMCA.
For locker rooms at “adult facilities,” transgender members may use locker rooms and restrooms that align with their gender identification. That applies to Tacoma Center YMCA and University Y Student Center.
“We understand transgender individuals who are in transition often face a dilemma on where to change and shower, and the Y strives to be a place to be safe and inclusive of everyone in our care,” Ecklund wrote.
“I want to emphasize this narrow revision of the policy is focused on dressing and showering spaces only, as they are the most sensitive spaces in our facility, especially as it relates to children.”
Michelle Larue, Senior Vice President of Marketing with the Pierce and Kitsap YMCA, told KTTH’s Todd Herman on Wednesday that there had previously been no policy for the “fairly low” number of transgender members, some who had been with the YMCA for 10 or more years, and that there have been no incidents of inappropriate exposure or use since the initial policy change in April.
Larue said the YMCA received “quite a reaction” since the policy went public, receiving more than 1,000 comments on the issue. Larue said they didn’t broadly inform the public about the initial policy change out of respect to the transgender individuals and that the intent was not to keep anyone in the dark.
“We didn’t have any reason we felt to inform the masses about this change when there was seemingly no effect on the way that we were operating or using our locker rooms,” she said. “I can tell you today, we’ve heard that concern loud and clear and we apologize if we misled or made any members feel like they were in the dark. That was not our intent by any means and today we are communicating broadly on Facebook and through email, and here, as much as we can.
“The number of people our transgender members was so small, and we had not had any incidents, nor have we since, of inappropriate use or overt exposure in our locker rooms, we just didn’t feel it was necessary to broadcast at that time. And again we are communicating now and making sure our members know our policies and locker room practices based on their feedback.”
Herman said he understood both perspectives on the issue, but asked Larue, “Father to mother, Michelle, should a 15-year-old girl feel OK with the possibility that she might shower next to someone who is biologically male?”
“As you’ve heard from our members, just as we’ve heard, they are all over the spectrum, right?” Larue responded. “Everyone has a different opinion on that. And so that is an individual family decision and we respect their decisions.”
YMCA’s attorney, Sal Mungia, told Herman a sign explaining the policy would likely be placed on the locker rooms at the adult facilities. He said the wordage would be decided “very carefully.”
“This is such a hard subject to be able to put down succinctly,” he said. “It’s a sign, right – you can’t have a bunch of fine print and to get the message across quickly and accurately. So this policy just went into effect, I think it’s going to take some time to figure out a way to convey that message so people can understand it very quickly.”
Ecklund noted in his release that as a nonprofit in Washington State, YMCAs are both “employers” and “places of public accommodation,” and that they are required to comply with all laws regulating employers and places of public accommodations.
“Washington State recognizes transgender rights and prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, which includes gender identity,” Ecklund wrote. “We believe we are both following the law and accommodating our diverse groups of members. We also note this is an evolving area of the law, and we will continue to stay tuned to updates from Washington State.”
ORIGINAL STORY
A policy instituted by the YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap counties has one mom worried about her children’s safety.
KTTH’s Todd Herman spoke with Jill, a mother and volunteer at YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties, about the policy enacted in April that gives transgender individuals the ability to choose the locker room he or she feels most comfortable with, no questions asked.
Jill said that her concerns are not an attack on transgender people, but more a criticism of the policy itself, which was never announced to the public or employees. She said the policy allows anybody to walk into either bathroom, which puts children at danger.
“Anybody who might want to go in there, (employees) can’t ask them, they can’t tell them no,” she said. “So any man can say, hey, I’m transgender’ and go in that way.”
“The employees didn’t know about this,” she added. “The public doesn’t know about it. YMCA doesn’t plan to inform the membership or potential members.”
Herman also said he spoke with Michelle Larue, Senior Vice President of Marketing with the Pierce and Kitsap YMCA, who told him that the organization has spent a lot of time speaking about ways to better accommodate the transgender community. A public forum on the issue was held Sunday; an attendee told Herman that approximately 50 people showed up.
Herman said some parents are asking that a written notice be placed at the locker room that informs people that they might encounter people of the opposite gender in the bathroom. He said the YMCA’s response has only been that the organization is committed to inclusion and diversity.
Jill believes the new policy also contradicts portions of the YMCA’s child abuse prevention training, most notably that abuse is more likely to happen if somebody who wants to do harm to children is given access and privacy, and that anywhere a child is scantily clothed or naked e.g. pool or locker room facilities — the chance of sexual abuse increases. She added that it’s not only children who might feel uncomfortable.
“You cannot blend in when you are not anatomically correct in the opposite sex locker room,” she said. “This is not possible … Do you want an anatomically correct man showering with your wife or daughter? Or how about an anatomically correct female showering with your teenage son?”
“In my opinion, seeing a naked man in my locker room is sexual harassment for me,” she said. “That’s the way I feel about it. This isn’t specifically singling out transgenders, it’s singling out the policy that would allow anybody who wants to abuse it to be in there.”
Michelle Douglas, Executive Director at the Rainbow Center, an LGBTQA community center in Tacoma, said she hadn’t seen the YMCA’s policy and wouldn’t speculate on its implications. She said the Rainbow Center is unequivocal about its stance that people should be free to use the restroom or locker room that they identify with. She said Washington State nondiscrimination laws are not new and that some organizations have moved faster to make updates than others. She said the Rainbow Center still hears a lot of “misguided concerns” about this topic.
“People have lost sight of why they go to the restroom or locker room in the first place, which is to go to the restroom or to change and get ready for work,” she said. “I think there is a lot of fear mongering around these pieces and I just don’t feel that it’s accurate.”
Larue told Herman that people who feel uncomfortable with the change can use one of the YMCA’s private rooms. Herman asked whether fairness is truly being spread around to everyone and that there should be better communication.
FULL STATEMENT
Bob Ecklund, President and CEO of the YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap county, issued the following statement on Oct. 5:
A Message to Our Members and Community
The Y’s mission is to serve everyone, regardless of financial circumstance, faith, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender identity. As our community changes, we often find ourselves in the unfamiliar, but remain committed to creating a culture focused on safety and inclusivity.
In April 2015, the YMCA created a policy to demonstrate our commitment to our transgender community. Previously, we had no policies with regard to this community. As a community-based non-profit organization, we are committed to reflecting the diverse communities we serve. We also have a foundational commitment to child abuse prevention.
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