Women face harassment, mansplaining, excessive staring, and being followed in the gym every day. When you enter the gym it is immediately observed that there is an overwhelming and intimidating male presence. This discourages women from completing the workout that they actually want to do, trying new things in the gym, or even entering the gym environment at all. The gym should be a place where women do not feel threatened, paranoid, threated, or judged. 

I have been going to the gym everyday since the start of the fall semester and have personally experienced being followed, watched, told what to do and how to do my workouts- not in a friendly or helpful manner. I have also observed the same events happening to several other women in the AWC. There is no feeling of safety when your every move in being watched while trying to do something for yourself. These experiences have discouraged many of my female peers from entering the gym, in fear of these confrontations. 

This is why I am demanding a gym time EXCLUSIVELY for ALL women (women of color, trans women and women of all sexualities) 7 days of the week for 2 hours daily. A time where all women can feel comfortable, supported, and empowered by the presence of only women at the gym. It is time we take our power back in environments stereotyped and assumed as male dominated and controlled . We deserve the same level of comfort, peace, and power all men have the privilege of experiencing during their workouts at the AWC.