Alt-righter banned from gym for being alt-right

A leading figure in the "alt-right" movement had his gym membership revoked after a Georgetown University professor confronted him during a workout and called him a neo-Nazi.

Professor C. Christine Fair told The Associated Press on Monday that the Old Town Sport&Health club in Alexandria, Virginia, informed her that it terminated the membership of white nationalist Richard Spencer following last Wednesday's confrontation in the gym.

The gym's general manager didn't immediately respond to a call for comment. Fair said she believes the gym made a "business decision" in pulling Spencer's membership.

Spencer told BuzzFeed that he didn't think the gym's decision was fair. The website published a copy of the gym's termination letter to Spencer, and it didn't cite a reason.

"I'm really a model gymgoer. I don't bother anyone. I don't talk to anyone. I really just go and lift weights," Spencer said.

Fair, who teaches at Georgetown's School of Foreign Service, published photos of her confrontation with Spencer in a blog post. She said he denied being Richard Spencer when she asked him if that's his name.

"I said, 'Oh, not only are you a Nazi, you're a cowardly Nazi," she recalled.

Fair said another gym member, a white woman, yelled at her "for making a scene" and threatened to call police.

Spencer said he was "peacefully working out" when Fair confronted him.

"I don't come to the gym to do politics. But she started screeching and yelling all this stuff," said Spencer, who popularized the term "alt-right" to describe a fringe movement that's a loose mix of racist, anti-Semitic and anti-immigration views.

Fair said she would do it again - and urged others to confront haters wherever they can.

"I really do think we're in this 'Germany-1932' moment," she said. "The worst thing we can do is be silent and pretend that just because he didn't bring his torch to the gym, he's only a Nazi from 9 to 5."

Spencer, who runs the nonprofit National Policy Institute, has advocated for an "ethno-state" that would be a "safe space" for white people. After President Donald Trump's election, he hosted a conference in Washington where he shouted "Hail Trump, hail our people, hail victory!" and the audience responded with Nazi salutes.

The mayor of Charlottesville, Virginia, became the target of Twitter trolls this month after he lashed out at torch-toting white nationalists who protested in his city, a gathering that included Spencer.

Fair said anonymous internet trolls also sent her a slew of hateful emails and social media messages after publishing her home address and telephone number.

But she argues the gym had a right to revoke Spencer's membership because his presence could create a hostile work environment for employees, some of whom are black.

"There is no First Amendment issue here," she said. "This is a private club that can regulate speech as it sees fit."

Gym doesn't wanna welcome scum. Fair, next.

GuessMyUserName posted...

Gym doesn't wanna welcome scum. Fair, next.

Except they did. The gym let him in in the first place.

Would you say this guy should be arrested for speaking out as he does?

Awww, nazis need a safe space? Adorable.

ImTheMacheteGuy posted...

Awww, nazis need a safe space? Adorable.

Except the gym's gm is the one crying about needing it to be a safe space.

"There is no First Amendment issue here," she said. "This is a private club that can regulate speech as it sees fit."

I assume you guys are okay with the other end of the spectrum too, where a photographer could refuse service to a gay couple on the grounds of being against gay marriage, just to be clear.

Or do you support more of the policing of certain views? Would you say this guy should be arrested for speaking out as he does?

EndOfDiscOne posted...

I assume you guys are okay with the other end of the spectrum too, where a photographer could refuse service to a gay couple on the grounds of being against gay marriage, just to be clear.

Or do you support more of the policing of certain views? Would you say this guy should be arrested for speaking out as he does?

....... being gay and being alt-right aren't the same thing by any stretch of the imagination, wtf?

I assume you guys are okay with the other end of the spectrum too, where a photographer could refuse service to a gay couple on the grounds of being against gay marriage, just to be clear.

GuessMyUserName posted...

EndOfDiscOne posted...

I assume you guys are okay with the other end of the spectrum too, where a photographer could refuse service to a gay couple on the grounds of being against gay marriage, just to be clear.

Or do you support more of the policing of certain views? Would you say this guy should be arrested for speaking out as he does?

....... being gay and being alt-right aren't the same thing by any stretch of the imagination, wtf?

Sigh

EndOfDiscOne posted...

GuessMyUserName posted...

EndOfDiscOne posted...

I assume you guys are okay with the other end of the spectrum too, where a photographer could refuse service to a gay couple on the grounds of being against gay marriage, just to be clear.

Or do you support more of the policing of certain views? Would you say this guy should be arrested for speaking out as he does?

....... being gay and being alt-right aren't the same thing by any stretch of the imagination, wtf?

Sigh

Gay people getting married does not affect anyone other than those making the conscious choice to get married.

Neo-nazis like Spencer incite violence and advocate for race wars, which negatively impact the life and liberty of other people.

These two things are equivalent because...?

They're just two real life examples, and bring up discussion of whether it is okay for a business to refuse service to someone they are uncomfortable serving based on their lifestyle, orientation, affiliation, whatever.

Gay people getting married does not affect anyone other than those making the conscious choice to get married .

Neo-nazis like Spencer incite violence and advocate for race wars, which negatively impact the life and liberty of other people .

Not_an_Owl posted...

EndOfDiscOne posted...

GuessMyUserName posted...

EndOfDiscOne posted...

I assume you guys are okay with the other end of the spectrum too, where a photographer could refuse service to a gay couple on the grounds of being against gay marriage, just to be clear.

Or do you support more of the policing of certain views? Would you say this guy should be arrested for speaking out as he does?

....... being gay and being alt-right aren't the same thing by any stretch of the imagination, wtf?

Sigh

Gay people getting married does not affect anyone other than those making the conscious choice to get married.

Neo-nazis like Spencer incite violence and advocate for race wars, which negatively impact the life and liberty of other people.

These two things are equivalent because...?

They're just two real life examples, and bring up discussion of whether it is okay for a business to refuse service to someone they are uncomfortable serving based on their lifestyle, orientation, affiliation, whatever. The sigh was because I was reminded of why I mostly stay out of political discussions anymore. It's exhausting and people will deliberately miscontrue your points. I don't even have strong opinions on this stuff.

That cannot be normalized as a "different belief."

The left equivalent of Spencer would be a gay rights advocate who is pushing views that straight people should be removed from society for the sake preserving the glorious homosexual society.

Not a same sex couple wanting to get married.

The left equivalent of Spencer would be a gay rights advocate who is pushing views that straight people should be removed from society for the sake preserving the glorious homosexual society.

Not a same sex couple wanting to get married.

next all privately owned stores should refuse to serve him and he should starve to death

personal beliefs that they are not bringing with them to the gym

not only should he be refused service he should be followed around and punched in the face and killed whenever possible

not only should he be refused service he should be followed around and punched in the face and killed whenever possible

killed once a week max imo

Hes not just some alt right guy - its richard spencer

Sorry, commies, your position is not any more normal than Spencer's. Also, it's naive to think he's extreme. His ideology is not nearly as extreme as globalism (on the other side of the spectrum).

Also, this is idiotic as hell. Guy gets attacked by someone, and he gets punished for it? What? I hope these morons go bankrupt.

I hope these morons go bankrupt.

Eddv posted...

Hes not just some alt right guy - its richard spencer

@Eddv

Did you say Richard Spencer?

globalism is the other side of the spectrum from literal white supremacist, huh?

globalism

I assume you guys are okay with the other end of the spectrum too, where a photographer could refuse service to a gay couple on the grounds of being against gay marriage, just to be clear.

Or do you support more of the policing of certain views? Would you say this guy should be arrested for speaking out as he does?