A Christian employee for the sports company CrossFit was reportedly fired after he defended a gym that refused to host an LGBT Pride workout event.
In late May, the employees of CrossFit Infiltrate in Indianapolis organized a special workout event in support of Indy Pride, but it was abruptly canceled by gym owner Brandon Lowe.
In a statement to gym members, the management explained that the event would no longer be held at the establishment because "the owners of the gym value health and wellness, and they believe that this event does not."
According to Fox59, the gym owner further said: "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."
Russell Berger, who listed himself on social media as the CrossFit's Chief Knowledge Officer, expressed support for the gym's decision in a series of tweets.
"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," Berger wrote in one of his posts that have since been removed, as reported by AL.com.
He went on to complain about the "lack of tolerance for disagreement" within the LGBT movement and reiterated his belief that Indy Pride is a "celebration of sin."
On Wednesday, CrossFit announced in a tweet that its management had launched a review into Berger's tweets and that the employee had been suspended without pay pending a decision. Later that day, the company released a statement saying Berger had been fired on the grounds that his remarks "do not reflect the views of CrossFit Inc."
A significant number of members, as well as staff and coaches, reportedly decided to leave CrossFit Infiltrate following the cancellation of the Indy Pride workout event.
The owner told Fox 59 that the gym had to close because it could no longer conduct classes due to the lack of staff.
On Tuesday night, the Indianapolis gym issued a notice informing members that they would be transferred to CrossFit Naptown a few blocks away.
The gym later released a statement claiming it had been misrepresented in the reports about the cancellation of the event and said that a majority of reviews had attested that the atmosphere at the gym has been "incredible" and "welcoming."
"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," the statement read, as reported by Fox 59.
