Activists in the Bay Area and around the country have called for a boycott of popular fitness gyms SoulCycle and Equinox after it was reported that their parent company’s chairman Stephen Ross will host a Hamptons fundraiser for President Trump’s re-election campaign.
The SoulCycle in the Castro has pride flags above it, but activists don’t think that means the company supports the community.
“It’s an insult for the LGBTQ community to have this kind of business supporting somebody who is completely against what we believe in,” said Sidney Erdhal of San Francisco.
Michael Petrelis, gay community organizer, agrees. “We’re asking SoulCycle members to cancel their memberships if they can,” he said. “To send a message to the company and to all of corporate America that if you’re going to raise money for Trump we are going to protest what you’re doing.”
#BoycottSoulCycle is trending on Twitter with many pledging to cancel their gym memberships.
The company issued a statement claiming that they do not support any politicians.
“We want to let you know that Equinox and SoulCycle have nothing to do with the event and do not support it,” the statement said in part. “No company profits are used to fund politicians…Mr. Ross is a passive investor and is not involved with the management of the business.”
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Petrelis said he wants actions over words. “We say, to the PR effort of SoulCycle, that we’re not buying what they’re selling.”
