On her podcast Reid This Reid That, former MSNBC host Joy Reid said she would "freak out" if she saw male genitalia in a women’s locker room, remarks she made while discussing a recent dispute at a Los Angeles gym involving singer Tish Hyman.
Joy Reid said on a recent episode of her podcast, Reid This Reid That, that she would be "disturbed" and "alarmed" if she encountered male genitalia in a women’s locker room. Multiple outlets that reviewed the episode quoted Reid as saying, "If I saw a penis in the ladies’ locker room, I would freak out, too," adding that she would likely take the matter to gym management out of safety and privacy concerns. (foxnews.com)
Reid’s comments came as she and co‑host Jacque Reid discussed a viral confrontation at a former Gold’s Gym location in Los Angeles. Singer Tish Hyman has said her membership was revoked after she confronted a person she believed to be male in the women’s locker room; local and national outlets reported that staff escorted the individual out during the incident, and that the location is now operated by EōS Fitness. A transgender woman later identified herself in media interviews as the person confronted, disputing Hyman’s characterization and saying she was not fully exposed. The gym has not issued a detailed public account of the episode. (foxla.com)
Riley Gaines, a former collegiate swimmer who has campaigned on sex‑segregated spaces in sports and locker rooms, criticized Reid’s remarks in a post on X on November 19, 2025, writing, "Joy Reid says she doesn’t want to see a penis in the women’s locker room" and accusing her of ignoring similar concerns in the past. (dailywire.com)
Reid’s podcast stance contrasts with comments she made in 2016, when she referred to public fear over transgender restroom access as "bathroom panic" during on‑air discussions of North Carolina’s HB2 law. (newsbusters.org)
Reid is accurately described as a former MSNBC host; the network canceled The ReidOut and announced her departure in February 2025 amid a broader programming reshuffle. MSNBC has since rebranded as MS NOW. (apnews.com)
California law, including the Unruh Civil Rights Act and state guidance, protects the right of transgender people to use facilities consistent with their gender identity in public accommodations such as gyms and spas, a legal backdrop to the Los Angeles dispute. (calcivilrights.ca.gov)