A Sikh man is accusing a GoodLife Fitness employee of racism after she asked him to leave a Windsor, Ontario, gym because he was carrying a kirpan.In a video posted Thursday, Gurpartap Singh Khalsa, a fitness influencer known online as @dreambodygurp, started recording himself while the employee is telling him she felt scared because he was carrying what she described as a knife inside the facility. "I don't feel comfortable," the employee says in the video. "I'm scared."Khalsa responds by explaining that the item is a kirpan, a ceremonial blade carried by some baptized Sikhs as an article of faith. He tells the employee she is discriminating against him because of his religion and repeatedly accuses her of racism.Khalsa captions the video, writing: "I was targeted. This girl said she is scared because I am carrying a knife (kirpan) and asked me to leave, but she let me in knowing I had it on. This is GoodLife Windsor Douglas. @GoodLife Fitness — unacceptable behaviour.".GoodLife Fitness, like most commercial gyms, maintains weapon-free policies to protect members exercising in close quarters. Staff have obligations to address visible knives, regardless of the carrier’s religion or intent.Under GoodLife's "Respect, Caring, and Belonging" section, the company states that the "health and safety of its associates and members is its primary focus" and says it is committed to providing a safe environment in its clubs. The company also says, "behaviour that creates an unsafe or hostile environment is not tolerated."The video does not show what occurred before the interaction began or how the situation was ultimately resolved. It also remains unclear whether any formal complaint has been filed or whether further action was taken following the encounter. At the time of publication, GoodLife Fitness had not publicly commented on the incident.
