Why is Pride so connected to the Fitness World??

Whether someone verbalizes it or not, at the end of the day, everyone who starts an exercise routine wants to feel more confident and more at home in their body.  This may mean different things to different people: being able to deadlift 300lb, preventing injuries so they can go play their spot, mobility to be able to get up and down off the ground to play with their kids/grankids, have that muscle tone they've always wanted, or feeling like they are game for whatever activity may come their way. (It's always hiking)  

For any individual in the LGBTQIA community, feeling at home in our bodies may be a challenge.  This may be due to gender dysphoria, non acceptance from family, community, or society, struggles of finding how someone want's to display themselves without the pressure of societal norms, feeling like you don't belong and many more reasons. For many in the LGBTQIA community, fitness means protecting one's self.  To literally be able to have the strength if they need to protect themselves.  Fitness can mean processing trauma.  It can mean helping deal with mobility issues due to the use of a binder.  For many other's it helps discover who they are.  

And now that there are gyms that have made deliberate LGBTQIA welcoming spaces, it brings community.  And not just any community but one that is more understanding and supportive.  A gym may provide a place where someone can actually be who they want to be for the first time in their lives.  

So when people say politics and business should always stay separate or ask things like “why do they need to flaunt it so much?”, this is the reason why.  It can literally save lives and help people feel at home in their bodies for the first time.  

I have seen the comfort that can come from people being in community with one another and feeling safe showing up exactly how they are.  I have seen how building muscle can change a person's demeanor and make them stand a bit taller.  I have seen how meaningful fitness and fitness spaces can be to an individual.  For anyone who has not experienced this already, I hope this makes it more clear why and how the connection between fitness and pride exists.  

Happy Pride friends 🌈