Sometimes when women are trying to get a workout in at the gym, they're also forced to navigate harassment and objectification. Creepy stares and glares. Catcalling and repeated requests for their phone numbers.
According to a 2021 survey from Run Repeat, 56% of women reported facing harassment during their workouts. And women are now documenting behaviors that make them uncomfortable with the hashtag #gymcreep on TikTok. Thanks to the trend, men who follow women around or grab them inappropriately are caught on-camera.
"We can use these viral videos as very powerful tools to show the problem," says Leilani Carver, Director of Graduate Strategic Communication and Leadership and the Director of Undergraduate Communication at Maryville University.
Naveen Ojha