Skated at the Alice Noble Ice Arena with a friend of mine who was disappointed that I wasn’t allowed to skate in my dress. The next time I skate in pants, it will be by my choice, not what someone else tells me I should be wearing.
Wearing a dress doesn’t change who I am, sure some people play dress up and pretend to be something else. For myself I am still me, I am still the same person in pants or skirts. Some people do use clothing to change themselves, and some clothing is used for people to be themselves.
Certainly you can’t have a firefighter fighting a fire wearing a polyester suit, but someone who is not a firefighter does not become one by wearing firefighting attire. And just because a firefighter is not wearing their kit, doesn’t mean they are not a firefighter.
I enjoy skating, and enjoy it just as much if I’m wearing a dress, for people to go out of their way and otherwise deny me the same privilege that others have is ridiculous.
Received an email from the manager at Alice Noble Ice Arena for the link to the adult ice, and contrary to what they told me on July 27th, I will not be allowed to wear my dress as kids will be around. They also informed me that the Monday, Wednesday, and Friday freestyle sessions are now restricted to 21 and younger.
Back at Alice Noble Ice Arena with warm-up pants over my dress as it can’t be visible since there are kids around.
Atmosphere is much colder today except for the gentleman at check in, he was cheerful and polite. Other people I have been skating with seemed distant and not very talkative, such a shame.
An adult male tried to ice skate wearing a figure skating dress and tights and was promptly told to leave as kids were present.
Management person: Seth Greenberg
Claims,
He was warned by other rinks of Steven Arness’s penchant for skating in dresses.
Kids shouldn’t be subjected to Steven Arness’s choice of attire.
Alice Noble Ice Arena is a nonprofit organization and therefore can say what Steven Arness can or cannot wear while skating.
This is Northeast Ohio.
Alice Noble Ice Arena is a nonprofit organization and cannot afford to lose money.
Person asked to leave: Steven Arness
Claims,
Seth Greenberg’s actions were discriminatory and uncalled for.
My attire did not violate any federal, state, county, or city laws.
Update, email from Seth Greenberg dated 7/31/20 “The adult ice on August 6th is available. There will still be young children in our building for our summer camp so the same rule applies regarding the skating dresses for men.”
Update, email from Seth Greenberg dated 7/31/20 “As long as there are children in our building you will not be permitted to wear a dress.”
Nonprofit organizations such as Alice Noble Ice Arena are places of public accommodations, and therefore cannot discriminate based on one’s sex.
One’s choice of attire is considered freedom of speech and is not restricted to any particular persons sex.
About Alice Noble Ice Arena,
The Alice Noble Ice Arena was a donation from the Donald and Alice Noble Foundation to the citizens of Wooster, Ohio. Donald and Alice Noble shared a fondness for ice skating ever since their first date on the Brookside Park Ice Arena in Cleveland, Ohio back in January of 1934. They continued to share special family time on the ice and would often travel to various areas to enjoy skating.
Their dream of donating an indoor facility for their community became a reality in the fall of 2002. The Bogner Construction Company was commissioned to build the 5.4 million dollar facility to include an official NHL size ice sheet measuring 200′ x 85′ and bleacher seating along with many amenities necessary for ice related activities. The facility includes five team locker rooms, a full service concession stand, pro shop, video arcade, meeting/party rooms and a lovely spectator room with a perfect view of the arena.
Alice Noble Ice Arena offers a Learn-to-Skate program, public skating, birthday parties, adult hockey leagues, an afterschool program and various sessions for hockey and figure skating. The arena is home to the Wooster Hockey Club, High School club hockey team, the Wooster Figure Skating Club and the Wooster Oilers Junior team. These organizations host several games, tournaments and ice shows annually which, in turn, draw overnight visitors to Wooster from all over the United States and Canada.
The Alice Noble Ice Arena management and staff continue to oversee the Noble family dream by taking great pride in providing quality programs in a clean, family-friendly environment. making it the coolest place to be!
Alice Noble Ice Arena can be reached at,
330-345 – 8686 seth@nobleice.com
About Steven Arness,
Steven Arness was always fascinated by the styles of clothing females were able to wear, especially wedding dresses, ball gowns, cheerleading dresses, majorette dresses, skirts, kilts, tutus, and of course, figure skating dresses.
One day while talking with his seamstress they asked him if he knew how to skate. Steven said no, of which he then decided to give it a try. He started in learn to skate at Kent State in his early 30’s and was quickly hooked and completed all the adult levels offered, however when he tried to progress further, he was told those lessons were for kids only.
Steven continued to skate during public sessions, but no coaches at Kent would teach him unless he wore pants. He eventually found a coach at Brooklyn Ice Arena, but upon returning the next year, his former coach told him that he would have to wear pants during lessons. He eventually found a second coach, and Steven at the time was wearing his warm-ups over his dress, of which they refused in allowing him to take them off. Finally one day Steven took them off before his lesson and that was the last lesson he had with them.
Steven works as a self-employed low voltage/fiber/security technician serving over a hundred customers and thousands of their clients for the past 27 years. He was also an operations manager at Airport Go-Karts and interacted with thousands of adults and kids over the 22 years he was there. Often he would ice skate at Brooklyn Ice Arena before heading into work. Off-season he would skate at Kent State Ice Arena and workout at the Student Wellness Recreation Center. In his time off he enjoys spending time with his wife watching movies, traveling, and the company of their many rescued animals.
Steven has been able to skate at other rinks without being asked to leave, but members of the Ohio skating community have ostracized him based solely on his attire. Steven has educated many on who he is, and some have come to understand who he really is. But many still try to limit his actions and ability to wear the attire of his choosing based solely on their own fear and not who he really is.
On July 27th I tried to skate at the Alice Noble Ice Arena in one of my favorite skating dresses, only to be approached by the manager saying that they would not allow me to skate in a skirt with kids present.
My Favorite dress
What I wore that day.
Walking up to the front door I was temperature checked and told good to go. I proceeded inside and took a chair outside the rink and proceeded to put my skates on. While tying my right skate a person approached me and said their name was Seth and that I would not be allowed to skate on the ice around kids while wearing a skirt. He also told me that other rinks had warned him of me skating in dresses.
I said my choice of attire is considered free speech and I’ve skated in Chicago and New York without issues, he said “This is Northeast Ohio.” I tried to argue my point and the error in their request, instead I was told that they are a non-profit organization. As such they can say what I’m allowed or not allowed to wear when skating and children shouldn’t be subjected to a man wearing a skirt. They then said I would be allowed to skate in a dress on their unadvertised adult freestyle sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They asked if I wanted my money back of which i said would be in their best interest. I received a refund, put my shoes on, and left.
I’ve skated in a dress at plenty of places, kids haven’t been the issue, parents of kids at times have been an issue, and it’s unfortunate that they chose fear instead of education. I mean seriously, do they think someone dressed as I was would try to harm their kids?
Back at the rink for some more practice, wore another one of my dresses that still mostly fits with my jacket and pants over top.
Made some more progress, unfortunately I didn’t mark off what I worked on and I don’t remember! But it was probably some forward and backward glides, crossovers, and 3 turns.
I asked one of the skaters who was interacting with my coach before if they took lessons from them, they said no, but did point out someone else who was skating that did. I approached them and asked if they were and they said yes. I told them I had a $10 credit and I would like to give it to them, of which they accepted.
Received an email from my coach that due to ongoing health issues, they will not be taking on any new students. I wish people would come up with either original excuses, or just tell the truth, I heard the former one far too many times.
First time back on the ice in a long time, and also a promising new coach with lessons to boot!
I arrived at the rink in my favorite dress, but with my warm-up pants and jacket over top, I hadn’t skated there before, so I was not sure how cold it would be.
I took the ice and did pretty good for how long I’ve been off, a time before when I was not off so long had me a lot more shaky!
Next came my 30 minute lesson, my feet were not too bad and I made pretty good progress overall and had good interaction with the coach. We didn’t make arrangements for more lessons, but did say we would continue. Cost was $30 for 30 minutes, and since the ATM only gives $20’s and neither one of us had change, I left it with them as a $10 credit toward my next lesson.
The rink wasn’t too bad temperature wise, I did warm up enough to take my jacket off, but left my warmup pants on.
I went to a competition to go check out the vendors and see if I could get something made, or even on the chance that I could buy something as well as some spectating.
While walking around I noticed that both locker rooms had signs that they were the girls changing room. For the boys, they had to use the men’s restroom.
Now there’s really nothing odd about that, small facility and the majority of the skaters were females, so that’s probably the best they could do with what they had.
But here’s the thing, a father shows up with his daughter and I heard him ask a female (a stranger also by the sound of it) to go with his daughter into the changing room and help her get ready. Later on I see a mother show up with her son and she follows him right into the men’s restroom.
Why does a man have to feel so afraid around other people that he can’t be with and help his own daughter?
