The Future of Fitness products is Gender-neutral

2023.04.20

Sociologists make a distinction between sex and gender. Sex is based on a ridged idea of biological traits that societies use to assign people into either male or female. Gender is more fluid and is determined by what an individual feels and does. How individuals understand their identities, man, woman, transgender, intersex, gender queer and other gender positions. The Third Gender is often used to describe cultures that accept non-binary gender.

Gender dysphoria is not new, the metaphysical poet John Dunn in the 16^th century wrote ‘How perilous is it not to love the life we are shown’ and almost one hundred years ago Virginia Wolf wrote Orlando, one of her most popular novels, with the then seismic sentence ‘he was a woman.’ Orlando is and always has been an ode to being oneself in whatever form that comes.  Around the same time Katherine Mansfield wrote ‘would you not like to try all sorts of lives.’ Gender identity refers to our sense of who we are and how we see and describe ourselves and the LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Plus) history can be traced as far back to the Celtic and the 1^st Century Roman Britain.

Today the NHS are seeing a huge growth in the number of people who express a sense of unease because of a mismatch between their biological sex and their gender identity. For children and young people up to 18 years old the NHS has a Gender identity Development Service (GIDS) and for adults Gender Dysphoria Clinic (GDC) where referrals can be made by a GP. Referrals to the NHS GIDS in 2021 with birth-registered females being the majority jumped to over 5,000, double the previous year. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that 262,000 people, 0.5% of the population, had reported that their gender identity was different from their sex registered at birth. Some 1.5 million people, 3.2% of those aged 16 and over in England and Wales in the 2021 census identified with LGBTQ+. The 2021 census was the first to include sexual orientation and gender identity.

The growing use of pronouns provide context highlighting the growth away from binary identities of male and female and can shape how we perceive people. Non-binary people may use different terms like agender, gender diverse, gender non-conforming to describe their identity. Whatever your pronoun personal health and fitness levels remains important.

It seems Governments, companies, dictionaries, pageants, sports NGBs and the fitness sector can no longer ignore shifting gender norms. At the time of writing the controversial Gender Recognition Reform Bill was approved by the Scottish parliament although Westminster may use rare powers to block the new law which would make it easier for individuals to legally change their gender. International companies like Salesforce have announced its latest representation goal to reach 40% of women and non-binary employees globally by the end of 2026. Executive compensation will be tied to these representation goals. Cambridge Dictionary states that as well as definitions including an ‘adult female human being’ a woman can also be ‘an adult who lives and identifies as female though they may have been said to have a different sex at birth. The updated definition has raised ‘more questions than it answers’ according to a group of peers in the House of Lords who have expressed concerns over ‘identity politics’ in the way a dictionary defines words. A Thai media tycoon, one of the richest transgender people in the world, paid £20m to buy the Miss Universe Pageant where transgender women have been allowed to compete since 2012. An estimated 500 million viewers across 155 countries will tune into the 71^st competition in 2023 from New Orleans, Louisiana.

After sport found itself on the front line of the debate a group of British sporting bodies concluded that dominant performances across some sports showed that balancing fair competition and the inclusion of trans women in women’s sport is impossible. Clarity on the issue is a long way off after the publication of the IOC Transgender Framework in 2022 recommends the focus should be based on a ten principles approach. The remit of each sport and its governing body is therefore to review its transgender policy in line with these ‘principles’ and determine how an athlete may be at a disproportionate advantage. Not an easy task. The World Boxing Council (WBC) is one of the first to put out a ‘global call’ for trans athletes. The aim in 2023 is to set up a new category for transgender fighters and a new universal registration system. British Triathlon has become the first NGB to include trans athletes in a competitive category rather than one separate to the male and female categories. Historic transgender participation in the Tokyo Olympics as three transgender and non-binary athletes competed for the first time in the history of the international games.

The conversation around gender is changing around the world, for example it is estimated that the number of the US millennials identifying as transgender or gender non-conforming has jumped from 3% five years ago to 12% in 2020.  Harvard Business Review in 2020 found in the US Gen Z’s 56% knew someone who uses a gender-neutral pronoun and 59% believe forms and surveys should include more options. Globally 25% of Gen Zers expect to change their gender identity at least once during their lifetime.  

Fitness brands that are looking to create products and experiences for a growing body of consumers that no longer buy into traditional conceptions help and guidance is at hand from Not Dead Yet. NDYglobal Founder and TV Personality Ryan Lanji, (#Queerfitness) voted one of the most politically pioneering LGBTQ Activists, who I originally introduced to BLOK studios in London. Ryan’s developed a QPOC/Non-binary/Trans centred community connected through health and personal fitness during the pandemic and has provided access to over thousands of queer people towards their first foray into gym going.  All classes prioritise gender inclusivity and marginalised communities of colour. Classes have expanded into the female centred gym at Adidas Studio, 152 Brick Lane, east London and NYD is working with premium gym spaces all over London. Personal trainers and instructors unlearn their bias by incorporating NYD’s evolving ethos and sites agree to convert changing room signage to gender neutral for the duration of the NDY’s booking, pronouns are encouraged and adhered to.

Ed Stanbury, owner of BLOK and visionary behind the studio space being a location for fashion shoots, art gallery and cool hangouts said ‘BLOK was founded on the basis of being a fully inclusive community, to create a safe space for all, no matter what their race, sexual orientation or gender. We continue to build our community on that basis and we are constantly striving to learn and do better. NDY are a key partner for us in that journey.’

Boutique studios are not a million miles from the beauty industry in needing to broaden the appeal and where products are promoted around the concerns of the consumer. Harry Styles, for example, already fashion icon, a music powerhouse, now his beauty brand ‘Pleasing’ breaks down barriers with gender neutral models. London Fashion Week went genderless during the pandemic when the fashion industry heralded it as the future of all fashion weeks.  

So, all hail the gender-neutral fitness brands. Gender inclusive marketing doesn’t mean leaving those favoured healthy strong visuals behind, which so far has had limited appeal to the wider consumer, to considering visuals representing a range of fitness products being used by a wider range of member. As an older member I don’t search out HIIT classes so often but look for LIIT style and healthy movement products. By using inclusive language that discusses the benefits it will help appeal to a wider consumer. Fitness brands need to reimage how gender appears across the whole company from market research, survey forms, customer experience, products on sale and programming. Brands that expand their focus to respond to this change could start to recognise the bigger business opportunity in 2023.

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