Last month, BuzzFeed spoke to Stephanie Lim, a 22-year-old nursing student who had recently finished stretching in her local gym when another woman approached to let her know they saw a man secretly filming her while she worked out.
Stephanie's story — which went on to include her alerting gym staff about the man's actions despite momentarily worrying about the conflict that may come from this direct approach — inspired others in the BuzzFeed community to share their own experiences with being unwantedly photographed or videoed at gyms.
1. One couple warned a woman who was being followed around their local gym:
2. One woman shared a similar experience to Stephanie's, where someone warned her about a man taking her photo:
3. Another person pointed out that other men at the gym have warned them about bad behavior:
4. And a gym employee witnessed someone get banned from their facility because he was zooming in on women's bodies and taking inappropriate and unwanted shots:
5. Underage girls chimed in...
6. ...as well as people who were out with their children:
7. Many agreed that these actions can be both "violating and disrespectful":
8. And clothing choices can often have little to do with whether someone is targeted or not:
Scrolling through the comments, users will see many express a want for more women-only gyms. After her own experience, Stephanie told BuzzFeed: "I do love the idea of women-only gyms, but I have friends that are male that have been a part of my gym journey and are genuinely encouraging and mean well."
"I love going to gyms that are inclusive because I feel like there is so much that we can learn from each other and be able to support one another. I believe that ANYONE, whether male or female, who is unable to come to the gym with respect for other people and their privacy and gym journey should be reprimanded," she said.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments.