DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION
LGBT2SQ+ AND EXERCISE CREATING SAFER AND MORE INCLUSIVE SPACES AS FITNESS PROFESSIONALS By Melanie Levenberg GYM OWNERS/OPERATORS OFTEN PLACE A RAINBOW FLAG STICKER ON THEIR DOORS, BELIEVING THAT IT WILL SOMEHOW TRANSFORM THEIR FACILITIES INTO AN INCLUSIVE SPACE FOR LGBT2SQ+ EXERCISERS. BUT THERE ARE MULTIPLE WAYS THAT LGBT2SQ+ INDIVIDUALS CAN STILL FEEL UNSAFE AND UNINVITED IN OUR FITNESS CLASSES, CLUBS, AND COMMUNITIES. Everybody deserves access to quality instruction, education, and support for their health and wellness, but unfortunately LGBT2SQ+ people report ‘gyms’ as one of the top places they avoid for fear of harassment and they often face discrimination in the fitness and exercise 52 canfitpro May/June 2023
industry, which can be a challenging and demotivating experience. Below, I share why LGBT2SQ+ individuals often do not feel welcomed or accepted in our fitness programs and venues, how access to exercise is especially potent for the LGBT2SQ+ community, and how we can create safer and more inclusive spaces as fitness professionals. We Built the Settings that Discriminate “Gym culture” in many places is centered around a heteronormative perspective that can make LGBT2SQ+ individuals feel unwelcome and excluded. This includes dealing with negative attitudes, judgmental stares, assumptions, or stereotypes, and even verbal or physical harassment.
Gender-segregated facilities like locker rooms and bathrooms can also be a source of discrimination for LGBT2SQ+ individuals. Transgender individuals (someone whose body does not match their gender identity) may face challenges and conflicts in finding a safe and welcoming workout environment. They may not feel comfortable using the facilities that correspond to their assigned gender at birth but using the facilities that align with their gender identity may lead to confrontations and harassment. We must also recognize that marketing and advertising in the fitness industry focuses all too often on heterosexual, cisgender individuals, which reinforces harmful stereotypes and excludes LGBT2SQ+ individuals. This lack of