in my experience at the gym, you don't need to communicate with anyone at all. you take the free equipment, you lift, you make sure to put everything in its place, you shower and go home. wtf?
Direct communication isn't required to create a hostile environment. Sly looks, offhand remarks overheard while trying to do an exercise, etc.--they pile up. And poor people especially are conditioned to be mindful of this sort of thing. It's often dangerous (as in, an altercation that can become physical might occur) not to be when in public.
poor people also tend to be accustomed to harsh environments (bad neighbourhood, bad school etc) so mindful, maybe yes, but actually stressed to the level that you leave and miss out on smth you have the right to, I don't know...