No Judgement Zone

The Planet Fitness in Midland County, Michigan recently had a conflict between one of its core company values and one of its customers.  In the kind of move that I wish we'd see more often, they fired the customer.

Yvette Cormier said she felt threatened by the fact that a transgender woman was one of the women using the women's locker room (news story here).  Planet Fitness never wavered in its response that it is in fact a No Judgement Zone.  That principle extends to gender identity, and that was their final answer.  As a customer, Ms. Cormier had agreed to uphold this essential aspect of the business.  So when she declined to stop complaining about the trans- member, she was deemed by Planet Fitness to be out of compliance with the policy of No Judgement and her membership was terminated.

"I'm offended by that" has become something of a weapon in the hands of the intolerant.  If you analyze it logically, the only action it really calls for is an inaction on the part of the offendee.  You are offended by this book?  Don't read it.

Somehow though, offendees have arrogated the right to act to prevent others from doing things that the offendees themselves dislike.  This is the core of many so-called debates going on now.  I say "so-called" because every high-school debater can tell you that an unconditional requirement of a "debate" is a reasoned argument on both sides.  But one side in the debate on an "offense" has no logic or evidence, only their self-reported, subjective reaction to something.  And it's always something of which they are more than welcome NOT to partake.  You find this movie offensive?  Don't see it.  You find same-sex marriage offensive?  Marry someone of the opposite sex.  If you wish to argue that it's not so simple, please be prepared to explain how someone is trying to force you to marry a same-sex spouse.  I will go to the barricades with you to oppose that.  But of course, that has happened exactly zero times in the history of the universe.