THEIR motto is no mirrors, no make-up, no men. It may sound like a feminist fantasy, but now Irish women are getting worked up about the philosophy behind Curves fitness centres.
According to Ivana Bacik, the Trinity College Dublin law lecturer, pro-choice women should reconsider their membership of Curves because their fees are supporting pro-life organisations in America.
Gary Heavin, the American founder of what is now the world’s quickest-growing franchise, has contributed more than €7m to pro-life groups and withdrawn donations from organisations that support planned parenthood.
“It’s a matter for each individual whether they join Curves or not, but for women who are pro-choice it would be better if they didn’t support organisations that are giving money to anti-choice groups,” said Bacik.
“It would be important for pro-choice women to be aware of where some of their Curves membership money is going. I personally would not join a gym whose owner was giving money to anti-choice groups.”
Bacik, a Labour candidate for the European election last year, added: “I’m very disappointed to hear that the founder of a women-only organisation is financially supporting anti-choice organisations.”
The criticism has been branded “infantile” and “the beginning of a logic of dictatorship” by Patricia Casey, a leading psychiatrist. “What causes a person contributes to should be a matter for themselves as long as they don’t infringe on others,” she said. “The people who are complaining about this should really grow up.”
Bacik’s call for a liberal boycott received short shrift from some Curves members yesterday. Theresa Mulcahy, a member of the Ballsbridge branch, said: “I don’t think Curves should be used as a political football. If someone wants to donate money as a private individual that’s their business. Curves has helped loads of women I know and I would hate to see anybody put it down.”
Mary Kenny, the Irish journalist, said: “In a free society people should be allowed to hold any values you choose and I would applaud (Heavin) for giving community-based backing for what I consider a good cause. Let Ivana Bacik go and open her own gym if she doesn’t like it.
“It is very much a trend in the modern world that people identify themselves according to their values. Is it any different that a gym should identify itself with feminism or that there should be a place on Molesworth Street for freemasons? “In civil society I think it is a good thing for people to affirm their values. Things never exactly translate from one culture to another so I think that this notion that everyone will turn into Texans tomorrow is flawed. In the end I think these companies will succeed or fail on their basis as gyms rather than Christian principles.”
Curves has opened more than 70 gyms on both sides of the Irish border in the past two years, promoting a women-only 30-minute exercise work-out. It sells the idea that women are more comfortable working out in a safe environment.
It has more than 7,500 locations and 3m members worldwide, and in America there is now a Curves fitness centre for every two McDonald’s.
Heavin has been criticised by American feminist groups over his donations to adoption clinics, abstinence-only programmes and pro-life groups. The controversy has started to hit the franchise financially with gyms, particularly on American’s West Coast, reporting an exodus of clients.
The 50-year-old opened his first Curves gym in Texas in 1992 after a two-month stay in jail for failing to pay child support. In jail he became a born-again Christian. He had previously lost a chain of 17 fitness centres after filing for bankruptcy.
He is unapologetic about his commitment to the pro-life cause. “I don’t believe abortion is healthy and therefore I discourage it,” he said.
In an interview with a Christian publication he claimed to be on a mission from God to make women thin, saying: “So many of our women had given up on exercise and had given themselves over to obesity and chronic disease, but God has allowed us to create a haven for them so they can get control of their lives.”
Heavin publicly distanced himself from militant pro-life groups after it was wrongly reported that he had given donations to Operation Save America, which advocates pickets on abortion clinics and has been linked to attacks on doctors. Heavin said: “I’m confident that once our franchises and members learn the facts, that we support women’s health groups, not militant pro-life groups they will understand and support us.”
The millionaire, who lives in a Texas ranch close to President George Bush’s, says his success is based on using biblical principles to guide his company. He encourages franchisees to respect the sabbath and not open on Sundays. His donations include a five-year $150,000 (€116,000) annual donation to Care Net. The organisation runs pregnancy crisis centres that dissuade pregnant women from having abortions and offers support services to encourage adoption.
A co-owner of a number of Curves franchises in Ireland, who preferred not to be named, sees no difficulty with this overtly Christian ethos.
“We have supported loads of charities since we started the franchises,” she said. “The main ones have been Crumlin Children’s hospital, Tallaght Children’s hospital, St Francis Hospice Raheny and the Marie Keating Foundation.
“There are no restrictions on opening gyms on Sunday. Heavin’s policy is that women should spend time at home with their families on Sunday.
“Curves is a business that is run by women and Heavin recommends that business owners should have a normal family life.”
