Virgin Active caves in to transphobic threats

This summer, Virgin Active were out in force at London Pride, marching under a giant inflatable weight in bright red T-shirts with the slogan “Get active for Pride.” With 43 gyms across the UK, the company have a proud history of supporting LGBTQ+ rights, with former managing director David Carter declaring in 2022 that “Pride encompasses many of the values that we want to celebrate as a business”.

So how did an organisation that calls themselves an ally to the LGBTQ+ community end up enforcing transphobic rules?

It all started with a legal threat from Michelle Dewberry, a presenter on GB News and a member of the transphobic group Sex Matters. In February, Dewberry sent a legal letter suggesting that by allowing trans people to use the changing rooms and bathrooms they identified with, the gym was going against the Supreme Court’s recent ruling.

Instead of standing their ground, last month Virgin Active folded and enforced a changing room and bathroom ban on trans people across all their locations.

But the Supreme Court never said that trans people can’t use the bathroom of their choice. The law hasn’t changed. The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s guidance is just that: guidance. Virgin Active is not following the law, it’s following transphobes.

As the far right rises across the world, the enemies of equality, diversity and inclusion are on the march. We’re fighting to make sure governments and businesses don’t just fold under their threats.