Last week, State Sen. Shelley Hughes wrote a column detailing an unverified report she received about a biological man who undressed and showered in the women’s locker room of a Mat-Su area fitness club.

The Watchman has since verified that this occurred at Alaska Club’s Wasilla location on Friday, March 31.

Alaska Club has 14 locations in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau and Wasilla.

A woman who was at the club that day, told the Watchman what she experienced.

“I knew it would happen at some point, but I was hoping it was many years away,” said Wasilla resident Amber Grammer.

“I want to know exactly what I can expect, protection wise, for these ladies and for myself.”

On March 31, she was participating in a fitness class, which takes place right across from the women’s locker room. As the class concluded, she saw women exiting the women’s locker room.

“I noticed there were some very visibly upset ladies in the locker room, so I asked, ‘Is everybody okay?’” Grammer recounted.

The women proceeded to tell her that there was a man who had been in the women’s locker room just moments before.

“He was very, very evidently a man,” Grammer said, noting that the women described seeing his male genitalia.

According to Grammer, some of the women approached the front desk to express concerns regarding safety and privacy.

Grammer later wrote a letter to Alaska Club management echoing some of those concerns and asking how the company planned to address similar locker room issues going forward.

“I want to know exactly what I can expect, protection wise, for these ladies and for myself,” she said. “What’s the club’s position. I don’t want this slipped under the rug. I want an actual response.”

The Watchman called the Alaska Club several times, and left messages with management for comment. There was no response.

The Wasilla location has several changing room options for patrons, including two individual private rooms equipped with a toilet, lockers and a shower.

“So, someone who is unwilling to use their own gender’s restrooms, has that option for their privacy and for the privacy of other people,” Grammer said. “But apparently this person said, ‘No, I’m a woman so I should be allowed to use the women’s room.’”

The issue of biological men demanding to use women’s locker rooms and bathrooms continues to play out across the country. New York City is attempting to require that all bathrooms allow people to use the facility which matches their preferred and chosen gender identity.

TAKING ACTION

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