Woman banned by Planet Fitness for photographing trans member vows to keep fighting
Patricia Silva says her membership was revoked after raising awareness about the biological male who was shaving in the locker room of an Alaskan Planet Fitness. (Melinda Crawford/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Patricia Silva is vowing to keep up the fight for women after Planet Fitness revoked her membership for posting a video calling out a transgender woman found shaving in the women's locker room.
"I'm here for the long haul. I am going to help make a difference, however that looks," she told Fox News Digital on Wednesday.
"I'm not afraid. The libs can threaten me all day long, and I just feel like I've got the armor of God on me. They cannot penetrate my soul. They can't take my joy unless I give it to them, so that's kind of where I'm at."
Silva's Planet Fitness membership was revoked after she alerted employees of the transgender member's presence and subsequently recorded herself speaking about the ordeal that took place at the Fairbanks location earlier this month.
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Patricia Silva told Fox News Digital she is determined to keep up her fight for women's rights. (Fox News Digital)
"I just came out of Planet Fitness, and there is a man shaving in the women's bathroom," she said in the first of multiple videos.
Silva said she "loves" the individual as "a spiritual being having a human experience." But she was "not comfortable" with the individual shaving in her bathroom.
Silva's video went viral and received massive support from many across social media and in her own community. Thrust into the spotlight, she said she can't walk out her door without receiving a slew of stares or having someone approach her to voice their thankfulness that she is taking a stand.
Online, Libs of TikTok's X account pointed out Planet Fitness's $400 million value decline from $5.3 billion to $4.9 billion after a few days had passed.
Others called for the company to receive the "Bud Light" treatment, adhering to conservatives' "go woke, go broke" motto.
"I was a voice. That's all I did. I have a voice, and I always use it," she said, adding that she never expected the video to go viral, but she's "certainly glad it did."
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Silva also snapped photos of the gym-goer she said made others uncomfortable as well. While she explained she took the video to bring "community awareness," she said she took the photos to show law enforcement, but to no avail.
Planet Fitness later called Silva to notify her that her membership had been canceled. She said she asked the gym to explain how the individual was able to get past the desk and what kind of government ID they showed to verify they're a woman?
She said the gym chalked it up to the individual's "personal perspective."
The response she reported coincides with policies outlined on the popular gym chain's webpage outlining its policies concerning gender identity.
"All members will have access to restroom and locker room facilities that correspond to their self-reported gender identity to the extent permitted by applicable law," it reads.
A lengthier section on the same webpage spells out Planet Fitness' expectations for members and employees to address those aligning with LGBTQ+ identities by their preferred pronouns and allow them to use facilities that correspond with their self-reported gender identity.
Planet Fitness calls itself a "judgment free zone" and, according to its policies, allows for transgender members to use facilities corresponding with their self-reported identity. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Planet Fitness previously confirmed that Silva's membership was canceled for capturing photos and/or videos in the locker room, a policy violation. It also confirmed the individual who was videoed by Silva identified as transgender.
The gym chain's chief corporate affairs officer McCall Gosselin, in a previous statement to Fox News Digital, clarified company policy on gender identity.
"As the home of the Judgement Free Zone, Planet Fitness is committed to creating an inclusive environment," he said in the statement.
"Our gender identity non-discrimination policy, states that members and guests may use the gym facilities that best align with their sincere, self-reported gender identity. The member who posted on social media violated our mobile device policy that prohibits taking photos of individuals in the locker room, which resulted in their membership being terminated."
Silva also said, though she would never go back, she believes there's a simple solution to the problem.
"It would be to create a third safe space for the transgender, non-binary… They have created this unsafe space for women," she said.
To counter the support she has received, she has also been met with threats and criticism.
"I've had the far left… they threatened me, and they threatened to come to my driveway," she said.
"And the truth is, we are a concealed carry permitted state [Alaska], and we know how to protect ourselves, and these people know not to cross boundaries, but they have threatened my family."
When asked what's driving her forward, she cited the fight for women's rights and applauded activists like ex-NCAA athlete Riley Gaines for speaking out.
"We had to fight like hell for our women's rights. We got kicked, we got beat, we got shot, we got killed, we got imprisoned, and we did not stop there. We pressed on," she said.
"And, today, we're just not ready to let them go."
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Fox News' Ryan Morik contributed to this report.