Influencer’s U-turn on decision to set up trans-inclusive gym sparks massive backlash online

A fitness influencer and the CEO of a women’s-only gym – ‘The Girls Spot’ – has sparked backlash on social media after announcing that her gym would not be open to trans women.

Natalee Barnett began working on a gym aimed at women only in 2021. It is due to open in Spring 2025 after four years of fundraising using contributions from followers and leisurewear brand GymShark via her GoFundMe page as well as her own investment.

Now, Barnett has changed tack and announced that the gym will only be open to “biological women”, meaning that trans women will not be allowed to become members of the gym.

Posting a video to her X account, Barnett addressed a resurfaced tweet from 2021 in which she wrote: “Respectfully, if you have a problem with trans women attending my gym then you can find another gym to train at. 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.”

In the video, Barnett explained that when she first had the idea for her gym – named The Girls Spot – she “hadn’t thought out the vision or the mission or what it would entail”.

However, four years into her journey, she has done a 180 and changed her stance on trans inclusivity.

Addressing my tweet from 2021.

The Girls Spot operates as a female-only gym for biological women, tackling harassment, sexual assault & violence that women face inside the gym.

The tweet circling was made 4 years ago and I was in the very early stages of creating a concept. pic.twitter.com/R4i6iUCMLA

— nataleebfitness (@nataleebfitness) March 9, 2025

In a video that subsequently went viral on X (formerly Twitter), she said: “The Girls Spot gym exists as a safe space for women because women are facing sexual assault and sexual violence inside of gyms. The meaning of The Girls Spot gym is now entirely different.”

Barnett explained that though her facility would include regular gym equipment, she would also include a focus on “self-defence classes, Muay Thai, boxing classes, as well as workshops and activations around PCOS [Polycystic Ovaries Syndrome] and training on your menstrual cycle, all of which occur to biological women”.

“The majority of the women who are seeking my women’s only gym are coming here because they have faced some level of gym intimidation or sexual violence and assault that has been perpetrated by men.”

“As the owner of the gym, it is very important to be clear how my women’s only gym will be operating, it will be operating as a single sex space for biological women,” Barnett confirmed.

Following her video, which received nearly 45 million views, many are now criticising Barnett and her gym for its trans-exclusionary policy and asking for refunds for their previous donations as they were under the mistaken impression that the gym would be a trans-inclusive space.

Several people have questioned whether it would even be legal under the 2010 Equality Act, which protects against discrimination based on gender identity, for Barnett to exclude trans women.

Others have pointed out that the policy is unenforceable and discussed the possibility that this policy might be used to police women who have conditions like PCOS, which can cause excess facial hair, or do not present as a stereotypically cisgender woman.

An angry critic tweeted: “Apart from the very disappointing transphobia, starting a women’s only gym then excluding trans women is a recipe for disaster. what do the logistics ACTUALLY look like? Checking private parts at the door??? when muscular cis women who don’t look ‘woman enough’ want to come.”

Many have suggested that they would no longer be supporting Barnett and her gym, citing that they would now feel unsafe as cisgender women in a venue that is trans-exclusionary.

One of the top comments under Barnett’s viral video simply states: “OK well can you take my name off the waiting list then.”

Barnett has been approached for comment.