A transgender woman who was forced to use the men’s locker room at a Yoga Studio in Manhattan, New York City, is now suing the firm for $5 million.
Ali Miles, a trans woman from Manhattan, alleges that she was kicked out of the women’s restroom and forced to use the men’s locker room.
According to the lawsuit filed by Miles, who is currently in transition and undergoing hormone therapy, she had already made the owner and manager of the yoga studio aware of her gender identity. However, when she tried to use the women’s bathroom and locker room, she was yelled at by the other women who asked her to leave the women’s restroom immediately.
Not just this, but after the fiasco, the studio employees asked Miles to use the men’s bathroom and locker room as they couldn’t allow her to use the women’s locker room.
“She claims to have been banned from using the women’s changing rooms and bathrooms on May 4 by management at Hot Yoga Chelsea – where classes can cost as much as $1,900 per year,” per Daily Mail. “But Miles went in anyway, and it led to complaints from the other women in there, according to the lawsuit.”
Ali Miles, who also goes by the name, Dylan Miles, has filed a third-gender identity lawsuit against the yoga studio and claimed she had suffered humiliation, shame, and frustration.
According to The New York Post, “It’s the third gender-identity discrimination lawsuit Ali Miles, who also goes by the name Dylan Miles, has filed in the city in 13 months — and could be part of a coming tsunami of trans-rights lawsuits targeting small businesses.”
The incident took place on May 4, 2023, when the Arizona native showed up at the Hot Yoga Chelsea studio for her 5 pm class and went to get changed in the women’s locker room.
However, she was yelled at by the other women already present in the changing rooms, and the management asked her to use the men’s locker room instead.
“Female patrons … complained and yelled at Miles about Miles’ presence and use of the single-sex locker room and bathroom labeled women, and they demanded Miles leave and cease using the facilities,” per the lawsuit.
A witness has told The New York Post that Miles’s behavior in the changing room on that day was ‘disturbing.’
“We have other transgender people [at Chelsea Hot Yoga], we have several trans women and several trans men, and there’s never been a problem. … it’s this individual,” the witness told The Post.
“This person who claims to be a transitioning woman came into the female locker room, number one, in male shorts that were down to his knees. Although there could be some hormonal addition because his bust is bigger than mine, he did not wear any feminine top to cover his bust,” the witness continued. “He also de-robed, and he is a full male. There’s 150% man. There were things hanging out.”
“It wasn’t even like he was just standing there. He was crouched down on the floor in front of the shower stalls. It was very uncomfortable for one of the women that was in there, and she was completely naked.”
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Source: New York Post
