Female members of exclusive Wing club hit out after men are allowed in

Members of an exclusive women’s club have hit out after organizers were forced to allow men inside following a discrimination lawsuit.

Female members of The Wing – which has clubhouses across the US and in London – described the men as ‘losers’, ‘cucked boyfriends’ and accused them of ruining the club with their presence.

Once said male visitors display a ‘classic patriarchal entitlement complex’ by wanting to be inside the clubhouses, which are billed as a space for female empowerment.

The Wing changed its admission policy in January this year, following a discrimination lawsuit, leaving some members furious (file image)

Kaitlin Phillips, a 29-year-old member of one New York branch of the club, told the NY Post: ‘There’s usually at least one [man] whenever I visit.

‘It’s bizarre to choose to occupy a space women specifically wanted for themselves.’

The Wing bills itself as a women’s club and working space modeled after the clubs of the late 19th and 20th centuries, that were established by women who were barred from joining male-only clubhouses and educational institutions.

It currently has 11 locations in New York, Chicago, DC, Boston, Los Angeles and London. Two more locations are planned in Seattle and Toronto.

The firm boasts 11,000 members worldwide with another 35,000 on the waiting list.

Users pay up to $250-a-month for access to all clubhouses, along with facilities including lactation rooms, phone booths named after feminist icons, and work spaces heated to the female-friendly temperature of 72F – warmer than most offices.

Audrey Gelman, co-founder of the club, said it will admit guests ‘based on commitment to [our] mission’, rather than gender

Members are also granted access to exclusive events such as intimate talks with Hillary Clinton, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, and Jennifer Lawrence.

Clubhouses also promote activism, with classes such as ‘Prenup 101’, community discussions like ‘F*** Harvey Weinstein’, and chartered buses to feminist rallies.

The Wing was founded in 2016 and initially promoted itself as a women-only space, but in January this year it was forced to revise that stance following a $12million discrimination lawsuit brought by 53-year-old James Pietrangelo in 2018.

Pietrangelo alleged in his suit that, after he applied for membership at one New York branch, he was told he would be declined specifically because he is a man.

Another member of staff told him his application would be continuously deferred, effectively denying him membership, he said. 

CEO Audrey Gelman subsequently clarified that The Wing would admit all guests ‘based on their commitment to The Wing’s mission, regardless of their perceived gender identity.’

The lawsuit was dropped shortly afterwards, however the new policy has not proved popular with some members.

A 30-year-old member of one of the New York clubs, who did not want to be named, said: ‘At first it was jarring. It started about a year ago and it’s getting worse.

Club members pay up to $250 per month for admission, which includes access to talks by female figures including the likes of Jennifer Lawrence (right)

Clubhouses – including locations in New York, Los Angeles and London – feature lactation rooms and workspaces heated to ‘female-friendly’ 72F, which is warmer than most offices

‘A guy even checked me out a few weeks ago. The whole purpose of the space is to not have to deal with anything like that.’

Caitlin White, 31, who is a member from Los Angeles, added: ‘It’s just annoying. Why do men need to be there? 

‘Why can’t they respect the spirit of the place? Men have to have everything.’

The discrimination lawsuit is not the first time The Wing has run into controversy – The Human Rights Commission of New York also opened an investigation into the club’s practices in 2017.

The Wing has also been accused of discriminating against low-income women who could most benefit from the networking opportunities it provides.

Kaitlyn Borysiewicz, who wrote a critique of The Wing in April 2018, accused its founders of promoting ‘a certain type of women’ who need helping the least. 

The Wing denied the claims, saying it offers scholarships to the underprivileged and has a diversity team to focus on including women of color in its community.