A London-based fitness influencer who recently announced the opening of her women’s-only gym has become the target of online harassment and death threats after clarifying her stance on transgender access to the facility.
Natalee Barnet, who has over one million TikTok followers, secured a location in Wandsworth, London for her gym “The Girls Spot,” which aims to provide a safe space for women who have experienced harassment and intimidation in traditional gym settings.
The controversy emerged when Barnet reversed her previous position from 2021, where she had stated, “Respectfully, if you have a problem with trans women attending my gym then you can find another gym to train at.” At that time, she had emphasized that “trans women are women and also a minority that need to be protected.”
However, in a recent video posted to X, Barnet explained her change in perspective, citing the gym’s expanded services including Muay Thai classes and workshops focused on women’s health issues such as PCOS and menstrual cycle training. She emphasized that many potential clients would be survivors of harassment or assault, making it “imperative that [she] stick to the vision and the mission and ensure that these women feel safe.”
Barnet shared her own experience as a survivor of assault in a gym when she was 18, telling the Daily Mail, “I was sitting in front of the mirrors next to a male gym-goer, who I’d known for a while, and we were talking. As I laid back on one of the benches, he touched me really inappropriately… It was so rapid that at first, I questioned whether it had happened at all.”
The announcement sparked intense criticism online, with some accusing her of a “rug pull” and others questioning how the policy would be enforced. One critic wrote, “You gonna do genital checks? Gonna do DNA scans? Gonna refuse any woman who happens to look too masculine for your tastes?”
In response to the backlash, Barnet issued a statement saying, “I wholeheartedly sympathise with Trans women and allies who feel hurt by my recent announcement… I want to be clear, I am in no way saying that trans women don’t face adversity or that they don’t deserve a safe space because they absolutely do.”
According to the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s 2022 guidance, such single-sex spaces are legally permitted under the Equality Act when the reasons are “justifiable and proportionate.” The guidance specifically addresses scenarios involving physical contact in fitness classes and services for survivors of assault, potentially supporting Barnet’s position.
Despite the controversy, Barnet maintains that her decision was made after extensive legal consultation and stems from her commitment to creating a safe environment for women who have experienced trauma in traditional gym settings.
