Former MSNBC presenter Joy Reid has ignited fresh debate after commenting on a viral confrontation between a lesbian singer and a transgender woman in a Los Angeles gym locker room.
The controversy began when musician Tish Hyman claimed she was followed into the female changing facilities by 32-year-old transgender woman Alexis Black, who allegedly called her a "b***h" in what Hyman described as a "deep, angry voice."
The Locker Room Confrontation
According to Hyman's account, the incident left her feeling "terrified," prompting her to run out into the gym area shouting about "a man in the restroom." While gym staff initially removed Black from the premises, Hyman later discovered her own membership had been terminated too, leaving her feeling punished for speaking out.
Black, originally from Ohio and previously known as Grant Freeman, told the Daily Mail she has been using women's changing rooms since beginning hormone treatment with estrogen and progesterone. The divorcee acknowledged she still has male genitalia but expressed "no interest in having a penis" and plans to fully transition.
When questioned about whether she had used the inflammatory language Hyman described, Black declined to confirm or deny the allegation.
Reid's Controversial Comments
Joy Reid addressed the incident during her Sunday podcast episode, coming to Hyman's defence while carefully framing her remarks. "I would be disturbed - I'm telling you - I would be alarmed," Reid stated. "I'm alarmed enough when I see a woman with her dangling boobies. If I saw a penis in the ladies' locker room, I would freak out, too."
The broadcaster emphasised that her comments represented "nothing against trans-anybody" but reflected concerns about women's safety in intimate spaces. She questioned why management hadn't properly addressed Hyman's discomfort with the situation.
"What I'm saying is if I turn around, and I see a penis in front of me, inside of the room, I would probably go to management and say, wait a minute, why is there a naked man in this room?" Reid explained.
Seeking Solutions and Wider Implications
Reid's cousin and co-host Jacque Reid suggested establishing separate transgender locker rooms as a potential solution, while Joy Reid proposed gender-neutral facilities as an alternative. "Because give people the choice," she added.
The confrontation gained national attention after video footage of Hyman shouting about "grown men with big d**ks" in the locker room went viral. The incident occurred at an EoS Fitness location that previously operated as Gold's Gym Beverly Centre, following recent acquisition of Southern California Gold's Gym franchises by EoS Fitness last month.
The dispute even reached California state senator Scott Wiener, with Hyman directly challenging him about whether he would "protect women." When an audience member interjected that "trans women are women," Hyman firmly responded: "No, they are not. They are men."
Black revealed this wasn't the first time Hyman had confronted her, stating she felt "disrespected" by the encounter. The former DJ said she has been open about her transition and had previously discussed it in the gym's changing rooms without incident.
