To the editor,
It is unfortunate that the Maine Legislature voted last Friday to not pass a bill that would support and promote the health of its Maine citizens. The bill would have protected the operation of single sex health and fitness clubs that serve more than 16,000 Maine women.
Women-only health clubs should be allowed to exclude men from membership and employment because there is a legitimate gender-based privacy interest that needs to be protected, and there is no overriding public policy that necessitates the inclusion of men in these clubs.
Single sex health and fitness clubs support a large population of women who feel uncomfortable and/or unsafe in a co-ed fitness environment, but who nonetheless seek the rewards of a healthier lifestyle. Some of these women are experiencing or recovering from health issues, such as pregnancy or cancer, while others are victims of domestic violence, physical abuse, or sexual abuse, and require the relative comforts of single sex facilities to regain their confidence and physical strength.
And while women are taking advantage of the safe haven offered by single sex facilities, the medical and science communities are unanimous in their support for the benefits of physical activity. Numerous studies demonstrate that people who exercise regularly are significantly less likely than those who lead sedentary lives to suffer from heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, stroke, various forms of cancer, osteoporosis, depression and anxiety.
61 percent of Maine citizens struggle with excess weight or obesity and all are faced with rocketing health care costs. The Legislature should be supporting all measures that promote a healthier lifestyle.
Some critics have argued that legalizing single-sex health clubs will erode the foundation of sex-discrimination law, but this simply has not happened in the states that already authorize their operation.
We applaud those legislators that support the operation of the women’s only facilities and hope that more legislators will reconsider the importance of the health benefits that single sex health clubs offer to Maine citizens.
Sincerely,
Helen Durkin
Director of Public Policy, IHRSA
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