There’s No Gym Culture Without the Queer Community
The Equinox and SoulCycle backlash is a reminder of an intertwined history
When PURE Yoga and Equinox instructor Jimmy Burgio heard that the billionaire behind the two luxury fitness brands would be hosting a fundraiser for President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign, Burgio made a gut decision: He quit his job.
On August 6, the Washington Post reported that Stephen Ross, the chairman and majority owner of the real estate firm the Related Companies, was set to host a $100,000-to-$250,000-a-ticket Trump fundraiser at Ross’ Southampton home the following Friday. Among Related Companies’ subsidiary companies is Equinox Fitness, which operates Equinox, PURE Yoga, and SoulCycle. After five years of employment by Equinox and PURE Yoga, Burgio took to Instagram to share why he could no longer stomach working for the brands. He’s one of many in the LGBTQIA community to cut ties with Ross-affiliated fitness companies this week.
“I am a Mexican, gay American and the very real reality is that these are two of the most targeted and vilified demographics by the Trump administration today,” Burgio wrote. “It has been my very real experience that SoulCycle, Equinox, and Pure Yoga are businesses that have been built on the backs of queer people and people of color. By…
