Men in an Aerobics Class

[DaveW58]

I have been going to 3 aerobics classes a week for over 25 years along with 2 other men.
There are about 40 ladies who attend the classes on a regular basis.
A few weeks ago 2 black ladies joined and they have complained to the council about the men being there on the grounds that it is against their religion to be in shorts etc with men around.
What annoyed the majority of the members was we are generally on the front row and these ladies had attended 3 of the classes before realising we were there.
Suddenly the council has made 2 of the evenings ladies only and want to charge the men the same monthly fee.
The Council as stated there are other classes we can attend with our membership cards 5 miles away.
A few of the ladies have complained and have said they will not be going to the class as a result of the men being excluded.
I think they liked to have a laugh at us sometimes as we generally in what they call the mischievious front row and some of them know us from school as being rubbish at sports like football and we do make a lot of mistakes with the aerobics.
I am just wandering if the Council is within it's rights to change the classes to ladies only.

Dave

[grasscarp]

Sounds like a case of discrimination to me. Complain to them and say either they let you attend or refund some of your money.

[hc4361]

Go to the local paper with this one.

[Ann]

Stupid PC rears its ugly head once again and spoils everything! Yes write to your local paper and get some backing.

[EvianBaby]

I have no idea what you pay for the classes but basing it on about a fiver a class, between the three of you that's over £58,000 pounds you would have paid over the years you have been going! (obviously you may be paying a different amount).

I would remind them of that.

[McMouse]

Why not suggest to the council that the black ladies wear tracksuit bottoms.

[DaveW58]

Hi EvianBaby

I pay £31 per month for Fitness classes only membership.
I know one of the other men uses the gym so I think he will be paying £38 per month and I know the other man uses the gym and swimming pool so would be paying £45 per month.
The council must have taken £30,000 from the 3 of us over the years.
I know the council has costs to run these classes but they are generally fixed so there were no additional costs for the men.
I did read the average sports centre membership lasts for six and a half years. People do move with their jobs etc and would join other Leisure Centre's but I do not think the council has done badly out of us 3 considering we are probably potential customers for another 25 years.
I have just had a phone call and I have been told 2 ladies from Barbados and 1 from Jamaica have complained about the class changing to ladies only.
I do not know what country the ladies are from who want them to be a ladies only classes but I think they should arrange some private classes paid for by like minded ladies.

Dave

[EvianBaby]

OK, so not quite as much as I estimated but still a hefty sum.

It makes no sense at all to push out long term, valuable customers who provide a guranteed income in favour of someone who (like you say) probably only bother going for a couple of months.

I'd definitely do a bit of campaigning, I'm sure you'd have a lot of people on your side. I have no idea about the legal aspect of it, sorry.

[mccfluff]

i think you need one more lady from antigua, then you can make your case

but it does seem daft. take it you have written to the council and got in touch with the local councilor, then go to the local paper, they would love this story!

[tinkerbell23]

God sake! PC gone mad....

If theu dont like it they should go elsewhere! There are male instructors in my gym for lots of the classes....if i didnt like
It id go elsewhere x

[mccfluff]

love it, i just showd this to one of the reporters and i think he nearly wet himself, till he found out that it wasn't us!

[Smowball]

I would definitely go to your local paper with this, even a major one. I cant believe they can do that!

[rowanwitch]

daily mail fodder

[Old_Geezer]

Speaking as a man I can say I'm not surprised. And I would expect it to be ratified by any appeal made too. It's all to do with which group you are pigeonholed into and whether that group rates with the powers that be as more important than an opposing one.

[tonywiltshire]

You have the right not to be discriminated against because of your gender, but there are some circumstances in which service providers are exempt.
You’re your Local Authority may claim the following exception: “ Where serious embarrassment would be caused by equal treatment”.
Which is a genuine exemption, they would argue serious embarrassment would occur to certain people if they did not have ladies only classes

[annadomino]

Why should OP change, why can't they go to a ladies only class. If 30 other ladies are happy, then I say blow them.

[Warja]

Hi Tony / Dave

What I think the council should do is arrange for a class to take place at a time when there are no other activities going on and charge these women accordingly in advance.
If it costs £150 to put a class on for 3 people at 4 o'clock in the morning then the council could say we will put the class on for £50 each payable in advance.
I have been going to 4 aerobics classes a week for over 30 years and I can not remember many classes where a man has not turned up.
Yes I think the sporting ability of some of them leaves a bit to be desired but I would far rather have them doing something than nothing.
One man which went to my school was sent by the headmistress to do Keep Fit as he was so bad at sport.
We went to the same university and was the only man in the keep fit class and I have heard he is still doing aerobics / bums and tums.
He is also trying Zumba but I have been told he has only been going for a few weeks so we are not sure at this stage if that will suit him.
I think he was right to study economics as I do not think he would have passed any keep fit exam.

[lyndylou]

This sort of thing makes my blood boil - the council feel they need to react to the coulour of the ladies skin for fear of being seen as racist - it's about time we stood up for common sense - This is awful - the classes was not originally set up as women only - you are being discriminated against ( I run Zumba classes and love the men there ) if the ladies in question are against a mixed class then they should find a suitable class for them' or ask the council to create a new one for them (if there is enough interested)
but things should stand as they were - or your money back - you joined in good faith ( not someone else's faith ) good luck - post the out come please