About two years ago, after finishing school, I moved to Fort Lauderdale to get a job. Upon settling in, I joined a gym.
I’m not terribly particular about gyms. I don’t want to spend a fortune, but I do want enough free weights that I won’t be waiting in any lines. Anything better than that (i.e. nice, new chrome weights) is gravy.
So, I found a gym that looked perfect. It was half way between home and work, not too expensive, clean, and had plenty of equipment.
Little did I realize at the time that Fort Lauderdale has a sizable gay population, and that this gym was known to be a “gay” gym. I started to notice something was amiss when I realized that it was about 99% guys (there was one woman bodybuilder I always saw, and maybe one other woman), and that the guys seemed to be trying to make eye contact. My suspicions were confirmed when a co-worker, when told about where I worked out, laughingly told me it was known to be a “meat market” for gay men.
Ultimately, I left for another gym with a regular mix of people. The decision, though, has always troubled me. I consider civil rights to be of utmost importance, and I don’t believe that mantra stops at sexual preference. So, is leaving a predominantly gay gym homophobic?
IMO, my decision was justified. One of the reasons I enjoy the gym is the atmosphere (in my experience, a mix of a few weirdos, some big muscleheads, and a selection of smokin’ hot women amongst the regular Joe’s), and this gym didn’t provide that atmosphere. Plus, it was a place where many people were going to socialize; that’s an irritant to me, as I like going to the gym to workout and go home (the pretty women are nice to look at, and a good source of motivation, but I’m too reticent to converse). My current gym includes some gay men, and that doesn’t bother me at all.
I’d be interested to know what you think.