Everytime I need to say my name, I have to do it firmly and with conviction or I stutter. Usually I say it quite loud, even if it’s awkward it’s better than the alternative for me. Don’t blame the gym staff for laughing, it’s very common for people that don’t see it often to not know how to react. My family friend has autism and everytime he had a big reaction in the first few years I met him, I had to hold back a laugh with all my might even though I knew it was wrong. Still to this day when people stutter I know it’s wrong to laugh and I wouldn’t want to be laughed at but I have to give it my all and an assholey smile comes across my face. I’ll never forget when I was signing up for a gym membership, and I was telling my details to the instructor, I could not say my phone number for the life of me. The sevens got me so badly and I would just sit there saying se se se se se se... before it finally came out. He didn’t laugh, he didn’t pity me, he just told me not to worry about the stutter and he had one at my age and eventually kicked the habit so I just have to be confident in myself it’s not gonna be there forever.