When I go to the gym, just about the last thing that I think about is my outfit. However, last Monday, a Barnes employee stopped me mid-workout and asked me to put a shirt on. That day, along with a couple of other girls, I had chosen to wear a standard sports bra and leggings. While the Barnes website does require shirts to be worn at the gym, in the dozens of times that I have gone to the gym in an outfit like that, it has never been an issue before.

Any person who has ever been dress coded or asked to change is familiar with the embarrassment of being told that the way you are presenting your body is inappropriate. Similar to forms of sex-based shaming, the experience of being reprimanded for choice in clothing is a projection of perceived sexualization as opposed to a reflection of the outfit itself. When the Barnes employee asked me to put a shirt on, she sexualized an outfit that I had chosen for its function above all else, whether she meant to or not.

One of the most ridiculous aspects of this rule is that female-identifying members of two of our varsity teams (cheer and dance) would hypothetically not be allowed to come into the Barnes Center wearing uniforms in which they perform for thousands of people. For both of these teams, girls are required to wear sports bras. Basically, the enforcement of this rule means that the university has decided it can pick and choose when it wants to benefit from the sexualization of its students.

Needless to say, I was upset. I sent an email to the Barnes Center detailing the issues I found with their rule which you can read below.

Their response (also below) was brief, dismissive, and showed that they had hardly read my email at all. Not only did they reference the weight room, which I had never mentioned, but they only offered to review the rule at the end of the year.

The Student Association has been extremely helpful and has heard out all of my concerns. However, it doesn’t seem likely that any rules will change before the end of the year.

In the meantime, I have continued to wear sports bras to the gym. As a resource that is meant to be dedicated to the physical and mental well-being of the Syracuse community, the Barnes Center has a long way to go.

My Email:

“Today (2/3), I was in the Barnes Center using the exercise facilities. In the middle of my workout I was approached by a Barnes Center employee and asked to put a shirt on per the facility’s policy. At the time, I was wearing a standard athletic sports bra and athletic leggings. While I do not blame the employee for enforcing this rule, I do hold issue with the rule itself.

This rule promotes unwarranted objectification and sexualization in a space that is used for personal physical development and care. A sports bra reveals only 3/4s more of torso than an average athletic tank top. Additionally, Syracuse University offers two varsity sports that require female-identifying participants to perform in front of stadiums filled with up to tens of thousands of people in sports bras (eg. Cheer and dance). Unlike sports such as swimming or beach volleyball, dance and cheer do not exclusively demand the use of a sports bra as opposed to a regular uniform shirt. In fact, some school’s uniforms require long sleeved shirts for cheer, but SU has made the deliberate choice to require sports bras. This would suggest that the university’s athletics and recreational administrators have decided that sports bras are either to be forbidden or required depending on when the university chooses to benefit from the sexualization of its students.

Today, in a space that should be dedicated to both physical and mental strength and growth, I felt embarrassed and objectified.

I realize that this form may not be the correct space to bring up these points. If that is the case, I would appreciate help in contacting an administrator with whom I might discuss this rule and its discriminatory implications. Either way, I appreciate your time and consideration in reading my concerns.”

The Barnes Center’s Response: “Good morning Ellen, Thank you for your email and for sharing your concerns about the weight room with us. We apologize that your last visit was not a positive experience. We will be undertaking an overall review of facility usage policies at the end of the year, but will not be moving forward with any adjustments to the weight room or other policies until we gather additional information and feedback. Thanks again for sharing your concerns. We hope to see you at the Barnes Center soon. Best, Matthew W. Hackett Director of Recreation”

The Barnes Center’s Response:

“Good morning Ellen,

Thank you for your email and for sharing your concerns about the weight room with us. We apologize that your last visit was not a positive experience. We will be undertaking an overall review of facility usage policies at the end of the year, but will not be moving forward with any adjustments to the weight room or other policies until we gather additional information and feedback.

Thanks again for sharing your concerns. We hope to see you at the Barnes Center soon.

Best,

Matthew W. Hackett Director of Recreation”

Screenshot of the Barnes Center’s Response:

I Got Dress Coded at The Barnes Center?!