Humility, not pride': CrossFit franchise closed, executive fired over cancelling gay pride event

An Indiana Crossfit gym franchise was forced to close its doors after opting out of a LGBTQ pride event because, as the owners wrote in a statement, "We believe that true health forever can only be found within humility, not pride." Here is the full statement:

Our underlying goal for the staff and members at CrossFit Infiltrate and our other gyms CrossFit White River and University Ave CrossFit, is total health and well-being for the individual and the community. Total health involves the body, the emotions, relationships, and the spirit. At the foundational detractor from health, as we believe God sets the parameters for, is pride. We believe that true health forever can only be found within humility, not pride. Humility is seeing oneself as they truly are, and as God truly defines them to be. As a business we will choose to deploy our resources towards those efforts and causes that line up with our own values and beliefs.

The franchise faced intense backlash for cancelling and several members, coaches, and staff chose to leave the gym. In response, officials with Indiana franchise released the following statement:

The unfortunate line that is being read about the gym grossly misrepresents what CrossFit Infiltrate stands for and what it believes. The majority of the reviews and statements being read about the gym largely point out that Infiltrate’s community has been incredible and welcoming and that the decision not to host an Indy Pride event is the reason we are called bigots or discriminative. However, let the history of the gym speak for itself and for the position we take in this divisive atmosphere, CrossFit Infiltrate welcomes, serves, and prioritizes training people to be fit and functional in body, mind, and spirit. It never has and never will be anything but welcoming to all human beings who live, move, and breathe in God’s world.

Things got even more heated when Crossfit Inc.'s chief knowledge officer and spokesman, Russell Berger, tweeted his support for the failing franchise:

As someone who personally believes celebrating ‘pride’ is a sin, I’d like to personally encourage #CrossFitInfiltrate for standing by their convictions and refusing to host an @indypride workout. The intolerance of the LGBTQ ideology toward any alternative views is mind-blowing ... the lack of tolerance for disagreement, which has been replaced with bullying Twitter mobs who promising 'consequences', should be a concern regardless of your political stance.

The tweet went viral and the outraged "Twitter mobs" turned out in droves, leading Berger's employment with CrossFit to be terminated.  The Indiana fitness location closed up shop, and the obligatory apologies from headquarters were issued.

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