A Washington spa’s women-only policy was ruled illegal under state anti-discrimination law, sparking national debate over transgender rights and judicial conduct.

A Washington state women-only spa, Olympus Spa, faced legal challenges after a transgender woman filed a complaint under the state’s anti-discrimination law, which protects gender identity. The spa’s “biological women only” policy, based on genitalia, was found to violate the law, and federal courts, including the 9th Circuit, upheld the state’s enforcement. In a controversial dissent, Judge Lawrence VanDyke used vulgar language, including “swinging dicks,” to argue the ruling forces cisgender women to endure intimate exposure to male genitalia, sparking a rare rebuke from 29 fellow judges who condemned the language as unprofessional and damaging to judicial credibility. The case highlights ongoing national tensions over transgender rights, women’s privacy, religious liberty, and judicial decorum. The spa’s owners may appeal to the Supreme Court.