Women's-only gym faces backlash after withdrawing trans inclusivity

The Girls Spot, a women's only gym opening soon in London, is facing backlash after its owner walked back on its inclusivity of transgender women.

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Natalee Barnett is a 25-year-old fitness influencer from the U.K. and is gearing up to open The Girls Spot gym in Wandsworth, London this spring. She originally announced her plans back in 2021 and shared a GoFundMe that she launched on January 25th, 2021. During the fundraising stage, she posted a tweet promising that transgender women would be welcome at the gym.

"Respectfully, if you have a problem with trans women attending my gym then you can find another gym to train at," she posted in 2021. "I have discussed this several times before. trans women are women and also a minority that need to be protected. Please keep your transphobia away."

As of March 10, 2025, the GoFundMe has raised 22,830 euros, and Barnett's dream is within grasp today.

On March 9, 2025, however, Barnett announced that The Girls Spot would not welcome trans women after all.

"When I made that tweet in 2021, I had just announced my plans to open a women's only gym. I hadn't thought out the vision or the mission of what it would entail," she said in the now viral video. "The Girls Spot Gym exists as a safe space for women because we're now facing gym harassment, sexual assault, and sexual violence inside of gyms and I know that because I am a victim of it. The meaning for The Girls Spot gym is now entirely different."

Its intent today is to teach classes on self-defense, Muay Thai, and training involving menstrual cycles.

"It will be operating as a single sex space for biological women," said Barnett. While she "believes that everybody deserves a safe space," she goes on to say that "It is imperative that I stick to the vision and the mission and ensure that these women feel safe."

The video, which currently has over 39,000 likes on X/Twitter, has become a lightning rod for transphobic debates – and many people aren't happy.

"Denying trans women into a women’s only space when they are recognized and protected as women in this country will only bring you lawsuit after lawsuit until your establishment is closed down," reads one comment on Instagram. "I’m so disappointed that in 2021, you said trans women were welcome and in 2025, backtracked and said they aren’t. But your donations were made by trans women alongside others. Totally backtracked and unjustified behaviour from a 'business woman.'"

"Apart from the very disappointing transphobia, starting a women’s only gym then excluding trans women is a recipe for disaster," reads another comment with over 20,000 likes. "what do the logistics ACTUALLY look like ? checking private parts at the door ??? when muscular c!s women who don’t look “woman enough” want to come what then ? when those women experience discrimination from other women trying to transinvestigate, what then ?? as a business woman, i’m interested to see how you imagine this working."

Barnett has doubled down with a note posted to X/Twitter on March 10.

"The decision to have The Girls Spot as a single sex gym for those biologically female was not an easy decision and something that I thought over for many years," she wrote. "My hope is that every woman cis and trans finds a space as they need to feel secure strong and empowered."

"Reimburse those who helped pay. You lied," reads one reply. "You’re saying the exact same thing and it doesn’t make it any less transphobic," reads another.

Barnett's only other comment on the situation is a repost of someone praising her video. "No, she isn’t being transphobic," it reads. "She is a woman, who relates to the struggles women face on a daily. She is a woman who’s making a change."