Florida officials are once again drawing fire from the LGBTQ community—this time for pressuring a private gym over its inclusive locker room policy. Attorney General James Uthmeier, recently appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis, sent a threatening letter to Life Time Fitness in Palm Beach Gardens for allowing transgender members to use facilities that align with their gender identity.
In the letter, Uthmeier claimed this policy “harms and endangers” women who use private facilities at the gym, and accused the gym of letting “men posing as women” use women’s locker rooms. What’s missing from Uthmeier’s letter is any actual Florida law that applies. The 2023 Florida bathroom law, signed by DeSantis as part of a so-called “slate of hate,” only governs public buildings, like schools, prisons, and the state Capitol. It does not apply to private businesses like Life Time.
Palm Beach County, where the gym is located, also has a human rights ordinance protecting gender identity. However, Uthmeier has dismissed that, claiming it doesn’t apply because it lacks specific bathroom language. In a social media video, Uthmeier claimed the gym is violating Florida’s Civil Rights Act.
But that is not true either. The Florida Civil Rights Act of 1992 bans discrimination “because of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, handicap, or marital status” and calls for the state to “protect their interest in personal dignity.” But it does not mention the bathroom use, or changing facilities, or even gender identity. On the other hand, a 2021 agency interpretation says Florida does protect gender identity in housing, employment, and public accommodations.
Despite this legal reality, Life Time Fitness seems to have backed down. The company told radio station WJNO that the Palm Beach Gardens location will now follow Uthmeier’s directive, though they say they remain “committed to welcoming all members.” For LGBTQ Floridians, this is yet another case of fear over facts and rights being trampled under political pressure.
