A woman lost her Gold’s Gym membership after a viral encounter with a trans person inside the locker room. On Nov. 6, 2025, Joey Swoll reacted to the controversy, sharing that women aren’t transphobic for wanting a safe and comfortable locker room.
Tish Hyman was undressed inside the locker room before noticing a naked trans person behind her. She recounted the incident, mentioning that she called the person ‘sir.’ Shortly thereafter, the trans person said, “You can’t tell me nothing, b****, I’m a woman.” Hyman didn’t hold back after the encounter.
“Gold’s Gym, grown men with big dicks in the women’s locker room, and that’s why I’m getting kicked out and I want to make sure the girls know,” she said.
Below you can find the rest of Hyman’s statement on the viral moment:
“I was naked. I was drying up, oiling up, and I turn around, and there’s a man in the locker room. So, of course, I’m shocked, I thought maybe I missed a sign, workers working, so I just said, sir, I didn’t even get to say a sentence or anything. I was just figuring out that there was a man behind me naked. I faced him and said sir, and he goes, ‘You can’t tell me nothing B-word, I’m a woman.’ I’m like, what?
Listen guys, I don’t have anything against anyone. I was just in shock. I’ve never been presented with this in my whole entire life. I started screaming and asking for help. People came into the locker room and they kind of escorted him out but not out of the gym, just out of the locker room so I can get dressed. Then, I made a report and nothing was followed up on.”
Get Fitter, FasterLevel Up Your Fitness: Join our 💪 strong community in Fitness Volt Newsletter. Get daily inspiration, expert-backed workouts, nutrition tips, the latest in strength sports, and the support you need to reach your goals. Subscribe for free!
Video courtesy of TMZ:
Trans Woman Reacts to Gold’s Gym Controversy, Joey Swoll Defends Tish Hyman
In a reel shared by TMZ, the trans person, Alexis Black, reacted to Hyman’s outburst.
“Well, I certainly do not understand it, but I do get the notion of the fear-mongering that she’s perpetuating. The truth in the moment is far from what she is purporting it to be. Literally, every time that she’s done that, I’ve had women in the locker room comforting me because of how aggressive she was towards me,” they explained.
Joey Swoll emphasized that women should have the right to feel safe and comfortable inside the locker room without having to see a naked grown man. He thanked Hyman, who is still upset over the ordeal.
“Now, regardless of politics, we should all agree that women have the right to feel safe and comfortable in a women’s locker room, without having to see a grown man naked,” Swoll explained.
“So, Tish, thank you; I applaud you for your bravery, for sticking up for yourself and for other women. I personally spoke to Tish—she’s very stressed out, having lost her gym membership, a place she loves to go, losing over a hundred pounds there. So I am personally going to help her find a new gym in the LA area, a place where she’ll feel safe and comfortable, and this won’t happen, and I’m going to pay for it too.”
Gold’s Gym issued a press release after the viral altercation. They were recently acquired by EōS Fitness, which purchased 23 of their facilities in California.
Hyman’s story and Swoll’s support have sparked debate in the fitness industry, with some arguing that it’s time gyms prioritize biological sex locker rooms to avoid such issues. It’s not the first time this topic has been addressed; fan controversy ensued after a trans woman competed in the Classic Physique category at the 2025 NPC Musclecontest Challenge.
Swoll is on Hyman’s side and hopes to see gyms reform their locker room policies moving forward. What do you make of this viral incident?
You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube for even more content.
