Planet Fitness opening in the Bay City Mall

The Planet Fitness "Judgement Free Zone" policy is displayed prominently inside the company's location inside the Bay City Mall.

(Jon Garcia | MLive.com)

SAGINAW, MI -- A policy held by Planet Fitness that allows transgender members to decide which locker room to use has garnered praise from some and criticism from others.

Related: Planet Fitness cancels woman's membership after her complaints of transgender woman in locker room

The transgender woman who believes she was at the center of the incident said she only entered a Planet Fitness locker room in Midland to hang up her coat and purse.

The company's policy led the gym to cancel a woman's membership for violating their "Judgement Free Zone" policy by telling others "a man" was using the women's locker room.

Here is the statement from Planet Fitness, in full:

"Planet Fitness is committed to creating a non-intimidating, welcoming environment for our members. Our gender identity non-discrimination policy states that members and guests may use all gym facilities based on their sincere self-reported gender identity. The manner in which this member expressed her concerns about the policy exhibited behavior that management at the Midland club deemed inappropriate and disruptive to other members, which is a violation of the membership agreement and as a result her membership was cancelled."

What do you think about Planet Fitness' "gender identity non-discrimination policy"?

The debate started when Yvette Cormier entered the women's locker room at the Midland Planet Fitness location Saturday, Feb. 28. Cormier said she was surprised to see someone she believed to be a man standing inside.

"It freaked me out because, why is a man in here?" she asked.

Cormier said an employee told her the member in question identifies as a woman and, as such, uses the women's locker room.

She took her complaints to Planet Fitness' corporate office, but was told the gym is a "no judgement zone" and that the company would not tell the individual in question to stay out of the women's locker room.

Cormier returned to the Midland location and told other women in the locker room about her experience, after which she was told by the company that she was violating its "no judgement" policy. After she refused to drop the issue, her membership was canceled.

Midland's representative in Lansing, Gary Glenn, said he disagrees with the company's policy of allowing transgender women to use the women's locker room.

Related: Planet Fitness transgender-friendly policy 'threatens women's safety,' Midland lawmaker says

Glenn, R-Larkin Township, said it "violates the privacy, comfort and peace of mind of women."

Charin Davenport, a local transgender advocate and transgender woman herself, said the decision of what bathroom or locker room to use should be up to each individual.

"I use the facility that I am comfortable with," Davenport said.

While some argue allowing transgender women to use the women's locker room creates a potential safety threat for female members, Davenport said the real threat in this scenario is to the safety of the transgender woman.

Jay Kaplan, attorney with the ACLU of Michigan's LGBT Project, agreed.

"A transgender woman would be much more at risk for her safety if she had to use the men's bathroom," Kaplan said.

What do you think?

Is Planet Fitness' locker room policy regarding gender identity in the best interest of its members or not?

Mark Tower covers local government for MLive/The Saginaw News. Contact him at 989-284-4807, by email at mtower@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+.