Happy Pride!
Pride, Patience, and the Power of Community in Fitness
A June message from Bionic Fitness
At Bionic Fitness, Pride Month is a reminder of the importance of community — not just in the queer community, but in fitness too. Whether you’re stepping into a gym for the first time or returning after a long break, how you’re received matters. Who’s there to greet you, how supported you feel, and whether you feel truly welcome — these things can shape your entire relationship with movement.
Fitness is often seen as a personal pursuit, but in our experience, it’s community that makes it sustainable. And that’s especially true for people who haven’t always felt included in those spaces.
Both of us — Brandon and Barrett — started our fitness journeys from a place of recovery. Barrett was dealing with a bulged disc, and Brandon had been hit by a car as a pedestrian, left with painful sternocostal subluxations. We didn’t walk into fitness looking to hit goals or change how we looked — we were simply trying to move again, to feel better in our own bodies. We were fortunate to have people who met us with patience, empathy, and the right kind of support. That made all the difference — and it’s a big part of why Bionic Fitness exists.
Because unfortunately, not everyone gets that kind of care. Sometimes all it takes is one bad experience — an injury, a judgmental look, or being made to feel like you don’t belong — to change the way someone views fitness for years. That kind of discouragement can have lasting physical, mental, and emotional consequences. It can be the reason someone walks away from movement altogether.
That’s why we’re so passionate about creating a space that’s inclusive, adaptable, and rooted in kindness. We believe that progress looks different for everyone. That encouragement works better than pressure. And that safety — both physical and emotional — should be non-negotiable.
Pride Month is a celebration, yes, but it’s also a reminder of how important it is to make space. Space for different bodies, different backgrounds, different needs, and different goals. Pride isn’t represented by just one flag — it’s a spectrum of identities and experiences. Fitness should be the same.
This month, and every month, we’re proud to stand with the LGBTQIA+ community — not just in solidarity, but in action. We’re here to make sure fitness is something people can come back to, not something they have to recover from.
Happy Pride, from all of us at Bionic Fitness 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
