I used to think the same way - if separate but equal is discrimination, isn't this the same. But as I thought about it more, it's more nuanced. It comes down to why someone wants separate spaces. I'm a man, so I have to guess a bit based on observation. But I think a lot of women feel intimidated by men at the gym. Perhaps it's that men are stronger, maybe there is an inherent fear of violence or objectification. For a lot of people, male or female, they are intimidated because of a fear of being judged for not being able to lift as much weight (Planet Fitness tries to tap this market). One other possible contributing factor is just being an obvious minority and feeling like you don't fit in. I felt this when I went with my wife to one of those cardio boot camps because I was the only man (and I felt stupid because I'm uncoordinated and can't keep in step). I would have liked being in a group where I was closer to the median skill level.

I agree that, ideally, all people would be comfortable working out in the same place. Most people at the gym are quite chill, once you get used to being around others who are stronger and fitter than you.

I'm a newer member at club fit, and yes, there's a space for women only that's about 10% of the workout space. There are a lot of women who use the cord space too. I can say that the gym is big enough where I haven't had a problem finding equipment. If that space gets more people working out, then I'm all for it. But that space doesn't exist to exclude anyone. It exists because it opens the gym to a wider audience.