Feminist Allred Files Suit Against Health Clubs for Excluding Men

Gloria R. Allred, the attorney who has made a career of high-profile lawsuits alleging discrimination against women, has brought an action against a health club chain founded in the San Fernando Valley, accusing it of discrimination against men.

An attorney for the health club chain denounced the suit as “a perversion of the anti-discrimination laws” and an assault on women’s rights to privacy, especially the rights of shy, overweight women and those who want to escape pickup attempts.

The legal action was one of three lawsuits filed Thursday by Allred on behalf of four men who allege they have been discriminated against in favor of women.

One of the suits was brought on behalf of James Moore, identified as a San Fernando Valley resident, who said he was denied membership at the Women Only health club solely because of his sex, a violation of the Unruh Civil Rights Act. The suit, filed in Superior Court in Van Nuys, asks for an order requiring the club to admit him and other men, plus unspecified damages.

Founded in Woodland Hills

The club, founded in Woodland Hills three years ago, admits only women because many women do not want to exercise among men, said Barry C. Groveman, the club’s attorney.

“This is not about discrimination in any way, but about the right to privacy,” Groveman said. “The club provides an atmosphere that insulates the patrons from the barroom, pickup atmosphere found in some of the trendier clubs.

“There are thousands of women patrons who don’t want to engage in social dynamics with men, or get into wearing fancy Spandex exercise attire or anything like that. They take their exercise seriously and they want to be able to go to health club without guys trying to pick them up.

“Many of the women are overweight and they just don’t want to be in workout clothes in front of men.”

10,000 Members

He said the club, which now also operates gyms in Studio City, Santa Ana and Brentwood, has about 10,000 members, most of them in the San Fernando Valley.

Allred argued that women have no right to exclude all men from a health club because their presence makes the women uncomfortable or because of annoying actions by individual men.

“There are white people who would be more comfortable if only whites were admitted to certain restaurants, but that doesn’t mean that blacks can be denied access to a business solely because they make somebody uncomfortable,” she said.

She said discrimination against either sex “is rooted in unfair and inaccurate stereotypes that unfairly penalize individuals in the group who do not fit the stereotype.”

‘Unfair Stereotyping’

“Some women may say they don’t want men ogling them, but it’s unfair stereotyping to assume that all men ogle.”

She said the club’s advertisements on television and in newspapers emphasize that customers will not be bothered “by cracks from guys who think they are too fat or too thin.”

“It’s insulting to men to think they all will make such cracks,” Allred said. “Some may and some may not. Some women may make cracks about another woman being too fat or too thin.”

Groveman said the club is “getting tremendous support from women’s activists and from the membership” who chose the spa at least in part because of the restriction.

Allred brought and won a discrimination suit against a Wilshire-area restaurant that barred two lesbians from its curtained booths reserved for couples. She also has a complaint before the New York state civil rights agency, charging that she was discriminated against by a New York City hotel’s health spa. She said she was illegally barred from a steam room by health club administrators, who said it was open to men only.

In another suit announced Thursday by Allred, Terrence Szostek of Van Nuys sued Armstrong Building Materials of West Los Angeles, charging that a store policy requires men to check large bags before entering, but allows women to carry large purses.

In the third case, William Perron and Raymond LaCroix of El Monte sued the Red Onion restaurant chain on the grounds that its dress code bars men wearing tank tops, while women wearing tank tops are admitted.