‘Honey, I’m a woman’: Man claiming to be a woman exposed himself to mother and daughter in YMCA locker room

An investigation is underway after a man who claimed to be a woman reportedly exposed himself in front of a 7-year-old girl and her mother in the women’s locker room of a North Kansas City, Missouri, YMCA. 

A mother told local TV station Fox 4 she and her daughter had finished swimming lessons, entered the women’s locker room to change and heard a man’s voice.

Then after leaving a stall, they saw a man with his genitals exposed.

When the mother questioned the man, he said, “Honey, I’m a woman,” the station reported of the incident on April 12.

The mother and daughter then ran out of the locker room.

Although Missouri lacks a law preventing people from using the bathrooms and locker rooms that match their so-called gender identity, the mother said it’s not appropriate for her young daughter to see male genitals in the locker room. 

“This is not a case of transitional status,” she told the station. “This is an issue of somebody showing their body parts to my child in a room where she should be safe from such things.”

Fellow YMCA member Angela Bush also expressed concern about the incident.

“My 11-year-old does use that locker room, especially after we go to the pool. In there, you either have to use the closed-off showers or try to change as quickly as possible. It’s definitely shocking and something we’ll be looking out for a little bit more,” she told the station. 

The YMCA has launched a formal investigation into the incident, working with the North Kansas City Police Department and the Clay County Prosecutor’s Office.

The YMCA said it could not provide more details about this specific incident. 

“We follow all state and local laws, and individuals are allowed to use the locker room or restroom that they identify with,” the YMCA’s statement said. “At the North Kansas City YMCA, we also have four private universal changing rooms available, separate from the larger shared locker rooms, for anyone who prefers the privacy they offer. 

“To ensure all Y members’ standards of privacy are respected and safety is prioritized when using any of our shared locker rooms, members are asked to wear a towel, wrap or other clothes at all times, which is communicated to members when they join in our Member Handbook.” 

The North Kansas City Police Department also told Fox 4 it is investigating a report of indecent exposure at the YMCA on the same day, but gave no further details.

Indecent exposure is a Class B misdemeanor in Missouri. Offenders can get up to six months in jail and up to a $1,000 fine.