Feb 19
WeHo Fitness Club Permanently Closes Steam Room Due to 'Inappropriate Conduct,' Angry Members Speak Up
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 2 MIN.
Angry members of Crunch Fitness West Hollywood spoke up about the closure of the club's steam room for what the club's management called "inappropriate conduct," Weho Times reported.
The outlet detailed in a Feb. 17 article that the club "has permanently closed its men's steam room due to ongoing complaints of inappropriate sexual conduct," with the club's "general manager... seen posting a sign this morning" informing patrons of the move.
The WeHo Times detailed that the steam room's permanent closure followed a temporary closure in January "due to inappropriate conduct by members."
The steam room was back in service as of Feb. 3, but with a posted warning that read, "Inappropriate behavior will result in your membership being terminated. 100%. End of Story. Full stop."
Moreover, the Times detailed, one of the club's managers, Sean Renzetti, took to social media to advise, "Being the manager at Crunch, yes, if you are participating in sexual activity in our public space, which is illegal (I am gay, so let's not make it OK because it's a 'gay thing'), I will terminate your membership immediately."
"Thanks for understanding," Renzetti's post added.
But some members spoke out against the move.
"Jason Thompson, the founder of a health retreat called Authenticity, pointed out a perceived double standard, stating that similar activity occurs in the men's shower area," the WeHo Times relayed.
The club's stance, according to Thompson, was that showers could not be denied to members since they "were necessary for hygiene" and "the gym was required to provide members with access to them."
Thompson argued that he was not getting as much for his membership fees as he should be.
"I signed up for this gym because of their steam room and have not been able to use it for a week. I'm now not getting what I paid for," the WeHo Times quoted him saying.
The earlier closure met similar resistance, the Times noted, as "some threatened to cancel their memberships and requested discounts, arguing that the steam room was a major selling point and one of the main reasons they joined."
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
