radical allyship

If you’re tuned in to the building crescendo of chaos and destruction coming at us like a daily tsunami from the current U.S. Administration, it is very clear that nobody is safe from their wrath.

Anyone who is an immigrant, part of the LGBTQ community, or who is not white or wealthy is not new to this reality, and these communities very much remain in their crosshairs. But the latest policies and DOGE cutbacks now also include a lot of folks who may have never been targeted like this before: seniors, veterans, children, people with disabilities, those that suffer from chronic illnesses, park rangers, government workers, scientists, teachers, union workers, the list goes on…. The dismantling of our systems of support for not only the most marginalized and vulnerable in our country, but people of all kinds, is in full swing.

📷: (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times), (Linda F. Hersey/Stars and Stripes), Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images, David Zalubowski/AP

This is why the HANDS OFF!, Fighting Oligarchy and other resistance marches and demonstrations are so urgent right now. These are urgent calls to action that require all of us to come together and stand as allies united in common cause of resisting this Administration’s blatant cruelty and destruction. The pervasive myth that we must remain divided and defend only our own or risk losing what’s ours is a ruse. The greater our numbers, the more power we have to dismantle the forces that seek to keep us apart.

Protesters attend a "Hands Off" rally to demonstrate against President Donald Trump on the National Mall, on April 5, 2025, in Washington, D.C. 📷 Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

We know that coming together can be even harder at times like these. One of the most basic human urges is to seek comfort and safety among our own. But it is now more than ever that we need to find ways to unite. Division has always been a tactic for domination and destruction of the communities that are most marginalized. Coming together is the only way of creating a solidarity that can defeat even the greatest forces of monopolization, oligarchy and dictatorship.

This April and beyond, we are focused on exploring and celebrating radical Allyship. Allyship has always been a core principle of our community. It is no accident that we aren’t called THEM or even US. We are EVERYBODY by design, because we understand that it will take ALL OF US to change systems that are rooted in oppression, cruelty, violence and domination. 

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RADICAL ALLYSHIP IN OUR SPACE

You may be asking a fair question: What does it really mean to be an ALLY? Our social contract talks about this in our fifth Guiding Rule for membership:

“5. Be aware of the privileges that you carry and how these privileges affect your experiences. This may be new for folks who have never had to consider what it means to be part of a community that not only includes, but centers, people who are marginalized. This is an opportunity to become an ally. An ally is a person who acknowledges, accepts and understands their privileges as things that are not universally experienced and who strive to create equity among those who do not enjoy those same privileges. It is critical to our community that allies of all kinds are a strong and supportive part of the culture we are collectively creating.”

— EVERYBODY SOCIAL CONTRACT

Everyone who enters our doors is given our Social Contract. Available at our Front Desk in English and Spanish.

Of course there are many many ways to be an ally to a diverse community such as EVERYBODY. We like to say that people tend to be an ally in one or multiple ways to our community since there is so much diversity represented in our space. 

Gender Neutral bathroom signs and locker room at EVERYBODY, ALL BODIES are welcome on-site and at our off-site events.

Allyship can also sometimes be awkward. It can be hard to accept the allyship of others who don’t share your experience as a marginalized community and trust that it is genuine. Building this trust takes time.  Folks who are new to understanding their privileges (male privilege, white privilege, cisgender privilege, able-bodied privilege, to name a few) also may have trouble sharing space with people who they fear view them as not part of the “real community” that they think is intended to be served.

They may feel defensive about their participation in a diverse community. They may not yet have developed the skills to look beyond their own ‘main character syndrome’ and understand how they can best serve a diverse community in their role as ally. They may make mistakes, and react with hostility or impatience instead of listening and leaning into the vulnerability of no longer being in the majority.

‘Brave Space’ vs. ‘Safe Space’

There is a lot of opportunity for growth in this kind of vulnerability. There is so much room to grow and learn and expand your sense of who you are and how you engage with others who don’t share your identical experience. These moments can be milestone moments, sometimes dressed in the most banal of human exchanges.

I’m thinking of the numerous times we’ve had members feel too awkward to ask to work- in with other members who are on machines and come to us for assistance, or in some cases mediation. It can feel so charged to ask someone for something as simple as more space to work out within, or to share the space equally with.

It prompts the questions:  Who deserves to take up space here? Why do some people feel comfortable asking for that and others would never dare? How can we create a community where everyone has the tools to ask for what they need and not feel like they are intruding or excluding by doing so?

Inclusive signage in our space and on social media. ‘Know Your Rights’ Red Cards are available at our front desk in English + Spanish.

We encourage you to dive a little deeper into these questions this month. We will be talking with members about allyship and would love to hear from you about your experiences sharing radically inclusive space with each other!

After all, besides simply being a gym,  EVERYBODY is a radical place to practice sharing space that we don’t get to share outside our walls!

movement & mental health

Happy May/Mental Health Awareness Month from EVERYBODY! There are so many unique ways we are supporting mental health this month (and every day), but I wanted to take a moment to share a few thoughts & highlights.

When we were bringing EVERYBODY to life, Co-Founder Lake Sharp and I bonded about having parents with mental health issues, and it has ALWAYS informed so much of what, why and how we do things at EVERYBODY. When my own Mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease over a decade ago, I had to shift gears practically overnight to become her full-time caregiver. As anyone who has gone through this experience knows, caring for someone with a mental illness can become a full-time job of its own and takes a serious toll on the caregiver as well as the person with the disease.

Strength Class with Sonny on our outdoor patio.

MOVEMENT & MENTAL HEALTH

I now closely follow the research on dementia and there are many current studies that explicitly link loneliness, stress and depression to increased risk of dementia and other forms of mental illness. There is also an emerging body of hopeful scientific evidence that supports the fact that exercise and connection to community in younger and midlife years are two of the most important keys to avoiding dementia and mental illness in later life. This brings me personally a lot of hope, especially since my Dad is now also on his own end-of-life journey with dementia.

CONNECTION & COMMUNITY

Of course we know many members of our LGBTQIA+ community already face a dramatically increased risk of depression, anxiety and suicide. We always create programming with the idea that moving our bodies together in community is about so much more than simply getting our heart rates up and achieving better circulation, flexibility, and strength. It is about a sense of belonging, a real connection to your community, and having a safe place for you to explore and expand your own relationship to your body ON YOUR OWN TERMS.

Outdoor mural by artist Maria Pineres.

IRL SEROTONIN BOOST

You may have also noticed that our beautiful multi-colored camouflage outdoor mural has just graced our interior space, all thanks to incredible artist Maria Pineres, a local Mt. Washington resident and beloved member of our community. Maria was inspired to bring the beauty of her original outside mural into the gym and our hope is that these gorgeous colors and shapes energize your workout and fortify you for the many fights ahead. "Resist" is the title of her initial large outdoor mural on our patio, which she painted just after Trump's 2016 presidential election. "Resilience" is the theme behind this powerful and inspiring interior imagery that re-purposes military imagery for our use as a tapestry of solidarity, strength and resilience for the days before us and those yet to come. Maria also wanted to represent the many colors, textures and shapes of our community in a slightly more abstract form, playing on the idea of many different "skins" imbued with various shades of Camouflage. I hope this contributes to everyone's sense of well-being, support and collective strength. Come see what we’ve done with the place!

Donate here!

COLLECTIVE SUPPORT FOR GAZA

We also continue to do everything we can to support and amplify the call for a ceasefire in Gaza including donating membership proceeds to the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund and donating supplies and resources to our local student groups including @oxyjvp at Occidental College organizing and protesting for divestment from Israel. The extremely critical work of demanding the safety of innocent Palestinians remains a top priority for us, as well as providing needed space for folks in our community to grieve, gather, restore & recharge between devastating emerging news, protests and local community actions. 

We have been unsurprised yet extremely saddened to learn that many mainstream gyms have actually * fired * members of their staff for speaking out in support of Palestine. We remain very proud of our commitment to hold space for Palestinian solidarity with our collective reflection, grief, and calls to action. We continue to advocate for an immediate ceasefire and end to Israeli apartheid and genocidal Zionism. Knowing our tax dollars are going to fund a genocide is absolutely detrimental to all of our collective mental health, and we must continue to show up, speak out, and call out for divestment from Israel in whatever ways we can.

Trans Trainer Ames Miyako is producing a film centering mental health.

STAFF FEATURE

A shout out to our Wednesday Night Hot & Heavy Strength Class teacher and Personal Trainer Ames Miyako, who is currently producing and raising funds for a film centering mental health.

Checking Out is a short film about a queer date gone mentally ill, where no one is crazy and humor and hope prevail: When a  really good date brings up really bad experiences from the past, Alex (played by Ames Miyako) has a dissociative episode at the worst possible moment: a first kiss with their really cute date Jess. Trapped inside the literal walls of their own psyche (which just so happens to look like the inside of a school gymnasium), Alex is challenged by “Cool Alex”, a past version of themselves, to crack the psychological code needed to get back into their body for that first kiss with Jess.

If you’d like to support this independently produced film written by Ames Miyako and directed by Ariel Zucker, consider making a tax deductible donation here!

WELLNESS, COMMUNITY AND OUTDOOR PROGRAMMING:

Looking for a little more movement, wellness or connecting with community outdoors? Join us for:

• Monthly Sliding Scale drop-in Community Acupuncture w/ Ben Leventer.

• New Monthly Sound Bath Series: High Vibes w/ Jordan Wolan starts May 31st at 6pm at out sister location, SIBLING.

• EVERYBODY Swims! returns for the summer every first and third Sunday at Occidental College beginning June 2nd! All bodies welcome.

In addition to all our weekly on-site class programming, these special wellness and outdoor events are intended to add a little more to the mix to our affordable and accessible programming. We are proud to offer a wide range of opportunities for connection and health.

Sign up/ see our full schedule of offerings here!

HOMEBODY VIDEO ON DEMAND

FOR ALL THE HOMEBODIES:

I would be remiss not to mention HOMEBODY, our revolutionary Video-On-Demand library that continues to deliver all our radically inclusive programming to you wherever you are, whenever you need it. We understand for those who may face mental health issues, working out from home can be a vital way to access the services you need most when you need them most. Our full Video on Demand catalog is available to our gym members or available as a separate subscription.

VOD curious? Check it out here!

Beach Pilates returns in July!

Take good care this month and remember, self-care is key to community care! We all need to breathe in our own oxygen before giving it away to others.

Happy almost Summer!

Sam / EVERYBODY Co-Founder