Antioch, Illinois Woman Says She Was Forced to Undress in Spa After Male-Bodied Individual Entered Women's Nude Area

Source: Tricia Parker, Antioch, Illinois

NILES, Ill. — An Antioch, Illinois woman says she was placed in a frightening and humiliating situation at a popular suburban spa after a biologically male individual was permitted to enter a women-only nude bathing area, citing state laws that staff said left them unable to intervene.

Tricia Parker, a resident of Antioch and a longtime customer of King Spa, says the incident occurred at the company's Niles location, which operates gender-segregated "wet" spa areas where full nudity is mandatory for patrons using hot tubs and steam rooms.

According to Parker, she was alone in the women's hot tub when a male-bodied individual entered the women-only area and joined her, causing her to feel unsafe and trapped. Parker says there was one other female in the tub.

"There was nowhere for me to go without exposing myself," Parker said. "This is a nude-only space. I had to climb out of the hot tub and walk past this person completely naked just to get away."

Parker explained that the male-bodied individual had initially been in an adjacent hot tub, which did not immediately draw her attention.

"I didn't even notice anything at first," Parker said. "It wasn't until the person stood up that I realized something was very wrong."

She said the individual remained standing for an extended period, during which she observed what she described as clearly male physical characteristics, including extensive chest hair.

"My head started spinning," she said. "I was shocked and confused. I never expected to encounter that in a women-only nude space."

According to Parker, the individual then exited the adjacent hot tub and entered the hot tub she was in, placing her in close proximity with no clear way to leave without exposing herself.

Staff Response and Lack of Warning

Parker said she immediately reported the incident to spa staff, who expressed sympathy but said they were unsure how to handle the situation.

"They told me there was nothing they could do," Parker said. "They said there were no policy accommodations they could make, that it was a new situation and they didn't know what to do. I actually felt for them — but I also had no warning this was even possible."

Parker emphasized that at no point before entering the women's wet area was she informed that individuals with male bodies could be present.

"If I had known this was allowed, I would not have gone in," she said. "That information matters."

Mandatory Nudity Raises Additional Concerns

Unlike many gyms or locker rooms, King Spa requires complete nudity in its gender-segregated wet areas — a policy Parker says significantly changes the nature of the issue.

"This wasn't a locker room where you can cover yourself or quickly step away," she said. "This was forced exposure in a space where nudity is required."

Parker also noted that the spa markets heavily to women and families and that teenage girls frequently attend the facility with their mothers.

"There are minors who use these facilities," she said. "Parents reasonably assume women-only means women-only."

Illinois Law and Business Policies

Illinois' Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in places of public accommodation based on gender identity. While the law does not explicitly address mandatory-nudity environments or require the elimination of sex-segregated spaces, many businesses interpret it broadly in an effort to avoid litigation.

King Spa has previously faced lawsuits in multiple states over access to sex-segregated facilities, including cases involving nude bathing areas. In several instances nationwide, businesses have cited fear of legal action as the basis for adopting expansive access policies.

Parker argues that such policies fail to account for consent and privacy in vulnerable environments.

"There's no balance in this situation," Parker said. "State law says this is about transgender rights — but what about our rights? We never consented to being naked in front of a male-bodied individual, a stranger. I'm politically aware, but I had no idea women had no protections at all in such a vulnerable space."

Political Responsibility and State Leadership

Parker places responsibility for the situation squarely on Illinois' Democratic leadership, arguing that policies enacted under one-party control have elevated ideology over women's privacy and consent.

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Democratic supermajorities in the General Assembly have expanded gender-identity protections in recent years, including interpretations of state law that businesses say expose them to legal risk if they restrict access to sex-segregated spaces.

"This didn't happen in a vacuum," Parker said. "These are Democratic laws and Democratic priorities. Governor Pritzker and Illinois Democrats created a system where businesses are more afraid of being sued than protecting women in vulnerable spaces."

"They call it progress," she added. "But what it really means is women are told to stay quiet, accept it, and surrender their privacy. That's not equality. That's erasure."

Parker said lawmakers who supported these policies should be required to explain how women are expected to protect themselves in mandatory-nudity environments.

"If this is the law, then Democrats need to answer for it," she said. "Because right now, women are paying the price."

Calls for Accountability and Reform

Parker says she is now exploring formal complaints with the Illinois Department of Human Rights and the Illinois Attorney General's Office, citing concerns over consumer safety, lack of disclosure, and failure to provide reasonable accommodations in a mandatory-nudity environment.

She is also considering speaking publicly to encourage clearer guidance for businesses operating sex-segregated spaces, particularly those that require nudity.

"This isn't about hatred or attacking anyone," Parker said. "It's about consent, bodily privacy, and whether women have any meaningful choice in spaces that are supposed to be protected."

Parker said she hopes lawmakers will revisit the issue before other women experience similar situations.

"I went there for peace and safety," she said. "I left shaken, exposed, and powerless. That should never happen to anyone."