http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/body-blitz-transgender-policy-1.4158397
A popular women-only spa is at the centre of a social media maelstrom after a transgender woman said she was not allowed to enter because of a policy forbidding male genitalia.
Transgender author Jia Qing Wilson-Yang tweeted on Friday that her wife had hoped to make her a surprise appointment at Body Blitz, a water circuit spa with multiple locations in Toronto, but had been told that Wilson-Yang would not be allowed in.
my wife tried to book me a surprise appt @bodyblitzspa but they won't allow 'male genitalia' at the spa and told us not to come https://twitter.com/gracietornado/status/873242720151773184 …
Since then, a flurry of tweets and posts on the spa's Facebook page have seen people lining up on both sides of the debate, with some slamming the policy as discriminatory and others applauding it.
"My homegirls and I love this spa!! Thank you for keeping women safe," reads one post on the Body Blitz Facebook page.
"As this city prepares to celebrate and honour its great wonderful diversities, your cowardly bullying actions are truly a revolting juxtaposition," reads another.
NDP critic for LGBT issues wades in
On Tuesday, High Park MPP and NDP critic for LGBT issues Cheri DiNovo released a statement criticizing the spa for what she described as "blatant transphobia and violation of the Ontario Human Rights Code."
"Remember lesbians and gays banned from change rooms of health clubs? This is the same thing," DiNovo was quoted as saying.
Other people have shared similar stories to Wilson-Yang, with one commenter reporting that a transgender friend had been called shortly before their booking to tell them not to come due to their rule regarding male genitalia.
Body Blitz responds
Another woman said a staff member told her that the spa's rule was that "as long as this is gone," before waving her hand over her pelvis.
Body Blitz, whose management declined an interview with CBC Toronto, wrote in an email that they "support the LGBTQ community and recognize that this is a sensitive issue. However, because Body Blitz Spa is a single-sex facility with full-nudity, we are not like other facilities."
They had also responded previously in the form of a Facebook post, saying that owners are working with a "civil rights professional" over the summer to help create a "clear and fair policy."
What do other women-only spas do?
A representative of Sweetgrass, another women-only spa in Toronto, told CBC Toronto that it does not have any policy in place regarding transgender women — but it plans to seek legal advice to ensure that it's being inclusive to all clientele.
The situation is different at Sweetgrass, explained spa director Monique Joustra, because clients are not nude together and typically wear robes during treatments.
She said she was "never aware" of a transgender woman coming to the spa, but that doesn't mean none have come, because it's possible they came in and received services without incident.
