RESIST: AN INTERVIEW WITH ARTIST MARIA PIÑERES

RESIST by artist Maria Piñeres (2017)

If you’ve ever visited EVERYBODY Gym in Cypress Park, chances are you’ve caught a glimpse of the gorgeous mural on our outside patio. Maybe you’ve seen it from the street as you drove down San Fernando Road or during your daily workout. Maybe you’ve wondered who created this beautiful mural, what is the meaning behind it, and why do I love it so much?

We sat down with artist and creator of the RESIST mural Maria Piñeres for a radical recap…

Artist Maria Piñeres at EVERYBODY Gym in Los Angeles

V: Ok, tell me your name and your big three. I’ll go first. My name is V and I’m a Leo sun, Sag rising and Menopause Moon.

(pause for laughter)

MP: Maria Piñeres: Sun in Libra, Cancer rising and moon in Aries.

V: You’ve been an artist for a long time…

MP: A really long time. I went to high school for art and studied art and design in Manhattan, so since I was 14. I came out to LA in 2005.

V: It’s such a crazy time right now, and it's so nice to see this mural still persisting almost unscathed, maybe a little sun lifted. But to me, it still seems like as vibrant as it was in the first few months that you painted it. I have a few photos in front of it from 2017 when Sam held an artist reception. I know there's elements of camouflage and kind of different interpretations of it, like colorful adaptations of camouflage almost…

MP: Yeah, I had done a really deep dive into different types of camouflage, and I just got really into it for a while. I've always liked to play with colors, and it also alludes to militant-ness. I think it has a lot to do with landscapes. It's like when I go to the desert, I'm just looking at the colors or the patterns that stand out and why certain camouflage became what they are. It's like shadows and colors, so a lot of this was sort of landscapes juxtaposed with each other, and they could signify bodies, or they can signify elements of nature or pushing back against each other…

“I had done a really deep dive into different types of camouflage, and I just got really into it for a while. I’ve always liked to play with colors, and it also alludes to militant-ness.”

— Maria Piñeres

V: But also flowing with each other…

MP: Yeah, it was all that. That's what I found, so much fun to play with.

V: Yeah. When you hear an artist talk about their work, you kind of look at it a little differently…with more insight. But I also like having my own opinion first and then maybe knowing what the artist said as opposed to the other way around.

MP: What was your opinion, I’m curious…

V:  Instantly my head went into ‘queering camouflage’. It went into taking something and, like queers do, make it colorful, make it political, because it just already is. Make it mean more than what it traditionally means, but with a twist of camp, a little bit of joy, a little bit of fun, a little bit of resistance.

MP: Totally….

V: Mix it all up and voila! And it looks better than traditional camo, but yet, it has these elements which, for me, like maybe as an old school dyke from the 90s, I really related to. We still wear the camo, but even more back then…

MP: Oh I’m so drawn to it to this day…

V: Yes…We wore the camo because I feel like we didn't have much of a wardrobe selection as gender fluid people back then. It was either men's clothes or women's clothes. So for me the camo was like oh, there's women in the military or this makes me feel powerful. I'm kind of making a statement against gender norms and femininity, but also being ready to fight. And the irony is, I guess camo makes you blend in, but when you're in a cityscape, you stand out. Right?

MP: Yeah, and the colors are more joyful, but it's also kind of like they're saying, as queer what kind of clothing and patterns do you gravitate to?

V: Yeah, and the camouflage shapes are specifically non-uniform and contrasting.

MP: Right.

“Instantly my head went into ‘queering camouflage’. It went into taking something and, like queers do, make it colorful, make it political, because it just already is.”

— -V. Craig

V: And then for the inside of the gym, what was your inspiration for that?

MP: I talked to Sam and we talked about making a different approach, but at the same time relating to it. I thought it would be nice to have A LOT of white space, so that it's sort of like creeping into the space.

V: Yeah, it feels almost like when you go to an old apartment and the bricks are sticking out from behind the paint.

MP: Yeah, like tearing down walls and finding a little piece of wallpaper that existed before, it's something like that.

V:  I like how at certain places where cracks might be, or underneath every boring white wall is…

MP: …Some history…

V: Yeah, especially here, like a cool queer history or artsy one.

MP: Right. And then I also played with the edges, like one side is really organic and the other side is really rigid, and at some point they come together where both sides are rigid. But it's really, really subtle, but that was just something that I kind of planned that way when it was on paper. And I was just like oh, the sides facing each other are both soft, and then these two sides facing each other are going to be like so, just for fun. It also does feel to me a little bit graffiti. I never call myself a graffiti artist, but my approach was a little bit to be, not just because it's on a wall, but a certain kind of line…

V: Yeah, they have distinct outlines, like someone doing a piece would definitely do a thicker outline with the colors inside and the solid on the outside. It reminded me of that, too because growing up in LA, I would study the graffiti art.

“‘...I also played with the edges, like one side is really organic and the other side is really rigid, and...the sides facing each other are both soft...”

— Maria Piñeres

V: So when you do this, you draw it out first and then kind of like a mapping situation?

MP: I do a mapping, but, you know, once it goes on the wall, it takes on its own thing.

V: And how long did the RESIST mural take to to do?

MP: Actually this one took a month, but it was like that weird time of year where the day I started it, it rained and then it didn't stop raining for like a month and a half. We would have one clear day and I'd jump in and every time I would come set everything up, out of nowhere the sky would just like turn gray.

V: That’s so rare for LA. It was like trying to resist your RESIST mural! Ok wow, but usually it would take probably like two weeks or a week?

MP: I thought it was going to take like a week and a half.

V: And how do you feel when you see people take pictures in front of it?

MP: Oh, I loved it. Especially early on, I remember I scrolling through Instagram and sometimes you're not paying attention, and then I'd be like, there's my background. Yeah, it's pretty awesome.

V: I honestly love when people do that or are just filming or selfie-ing out here. The mural just makes everything pop: makes the astroturf pop, the equipment pop, it just makes everybody look great.

MP: Because it's outdoors, the lighting is always great. Even when there's shadows, it looks really fresh. The inside doesn't have that same look.

V: Yeah, the inside seems more poppy because the white and then the color are like bam, bam, whereas the outside blends in more… The medicine balls are blending in, the boxing bags, and even the orange fan. It's almost like Sam consciously works the equipment around your mural.

“We pulled a lot of colors from the EVERYBODY typeface. But obviously there are some browns and deep oranges that needed to go in there just to help it pop a little bit.”

— Maria Piñeres

V: And what do you think about it now years later?

MP: I'm so happy it's still there and sometimes when I drive down San Fernando, you see the top of it, and obviously the first thing I notice is how much it's faded, although it's still pretty bright on the bottom. But it does kind of make me chuckle that it's there and where my mind was at the time... and if I had any doubts at the time like oh, that should have been a different color... We pulled a lot of colors from the EVERYBODY typeface. But obviously there are some browns and deep oranges that needed to go in there just to help it pop a little bit. At the time some of the colors just weren't me, like I would never use that color, but now those colors ARE me.

V: Totally! So when you were painting it, what was your mind frame at the time?

MP: I mean aside from the political thing, it did feel like a big time of change, and I think I was either just starting a new relationship and had just ended a long one. I had just moved… So, some personal, some just more environmental.

“V: And the RESIST title, did you come up with that?

MP: Yes...that name didn’t strike me until it was finished. It was just kind of like, oh, it’s RESIST, that it can’t be anything else.”

— Maria Piñeres

V: And the RESIST title, did you come up with that?

MP: Yes, and I didn't name it or that name didn't strike me until it was finished. It was just kind of like, oh, it's RESIST, that it can't be anything else. It just felt whether or not it pertained to the image and what was depicted, it was just at the time how I felt, and especially because it was for this particular place at that particular time.

V: Kind of like the juxtaposition of Trump in office, and this new gym forming right at this time. The two coming together, like what a perfect time.

MP: It was a perfect time, and it just reinforced the idea of community and identity, and sort of having our little fortress of safety. I’ve been in a queer bubble for so long that I forget about the other side, and then everything is so normal until (and I don't mean to otherness people), but we're clearly in a bubble. But it's so safe and it's so nice, and I’d do anything to maintain and preserve that safe space. It would be ideal if we didn't have to, but if we have to, then we must! Ha!

V: Yes, we must! Now more than ever. The sh*t is just accelerating exponentially. Yeah, this place has always been that root, or that space for a lot of people. So it's good to see some things still standing the test of time, your mural, the space, the mission…everything.

MP: Yeah, and growing and you know… just being so positive.

“...the juxtaposition of Trump in office, and this new gym forming. The two coming together, like what a perfect time. ”

— - V. Craig

V. in front of Maria’s mural setting up for the artist’s reception. (2017)

“...it just reinforced the idea of community and identity, and sort of having our little fortress of safety...it’s so safe and it’s so nice, and I’d do anything to maintain and preserve that safe space. It would be ideal if we didn’t have to, but if we have to, then we must!”

— Maria Piñeres

You may see Maria at the gym, your local art gallery, or about town, but you can always catch her vibes in our space or at www.mariapineres.com.

‘Levity Floats’ by Maria Piñeres (2020) Walter Maciel Gallery

Maria is currently represented by Walter Maciel Gallery in Culver City. Please contact for commissions.

Needlepoint work by Maria Piñeres.

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A reflection on the incredibly timely work of the great writer Octavia Butler.

Octavia Butler was born and raised in Pasadena. While she primarily worked in the genre of science fiction,  many have noted how her visionary writing about Los Angeles and our 2025 world has been spot-on relevant as of late. Particularly in  Parable of the Sower, Butler imagines a world where the lead character observes her neighbors rigidly clinging to old constructs that prove to be dangerous and untenable in a world devastated by climate change. The core message of the book is about tenacity and the importance of being resilient in impossible times and circumstances. “All successful life is adaptable, opportunistic, tenacious, interconnected, and fecund” she writes. “Understand this. Use it.”

📷 (L) Octavia Butler (R) ‘Parable of the Sower’ Cover art by Paul Lewin entitled “The Offering,” in which a woman gives an offering to a hummingbird. ‘This reminded me of the main character Lauren Olamina, offering what she’s learned to the world in the form of a new religion. Her rare hyper empathy syndrome makes her a “sharer”, someone who feels what other people––and, to a lesser extent, animals––feel when they’re in pleasure or pain’. 

This was a message explicitly directed at a moment like the one we are living now.  But how can we heed her advice and become “opportunistic” at a time like this, when basic survival often feels like the only possible goal? What could it mean to “adapt” at this time, without losing our core values and beliefs? “All that you touch you change”, Butler writes. “All that you change changes you. The only lasting truth is change.” In her writing, she asks us to be mutable, adaptable, even agreeable to being changed.

While most of us feel are feeling rightfully fearful about the future and what is taking place in our government right now, change may feel more threatening than anything else. And yet some are tapping into the powerful motivation that this terrifying moment can give us to get and stay connected and to continue to strengthen our resolve not to give up hope. It can be so easy to succumb to feelings of overwhelm and despair in the face of so much destruction, and so little inspiration. Yet Butler reminds us to “forget inspiration” and that “habit is more dependable.” “Habit”, she writes, “will sustain you whether you are inspired or not. Habit is persistence in practice.”

What habits are we forming that will sustain us in these times? What practices are we learning/ have we developed that are grounding us against the relentless tyranny rising up all around us?

A routine of exercise and embodied movement is best practiced as a habit. If regularly practiced, a routine of embodied movement can ground you in your own strength and purpose in ways that nothing else can. In re-reading Butler's words, I’ve found a reminder to be in my own body every day in a new way. I’ve found a call to action to adapt to these circumstances by building more strength, more flexibility, more willingness to change, to be vulnerable, to show up for myself and for others. There is tremendous strength in habitually committing to a practice that you return to daily that challenges you in some way. The plant that grows in sandy soil is always stronger and more resilient than the one in smooth soil.

Our goal is to provide you with fertile ground of one kind or another to plant your bodies and grow your practice here. We need all of our most tenacious and fecund selves to show up for this moment and everything that is to come.

-Sam/ EVERYBODY GM & Co-Founder

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a brief history of octavia butler and altadena

Octavia Butler (1947-2006) was a highly celebrated and influential writer in the genre of science fiction, known for thought-provoking works that explored themes of race, gender, power, and ecological destruction. As an African American woman in a predominantly white and male genre, she brought new perspectives to the forefront. Butler was born in Pasadena and grew up in predominately Black neighborhoods in Pasadena and Altadena.

Butler’s most well-known novel is Parable of the Sower, published in 1993; in it she envisions a dystopian future ravaged by climate change, economic instability, and social unrest. The book, along with its sequel, Parables of the Talents, won several  major awards and established Butler as a visionary writer adept at predicting and dissecting societal trends. Her success gave her the means to purchase a home in Altadena.

- Kathleen McDonnell via altadenaheritage.org

📷 (L) Octavia Butler (R) Nikki High, owner of Octavia’s Bookshelf in Pasadena

Altadena (an unincorporated city north of Pasadena) holds a significant history as a haven for Black families seeking refuge from redlining and systemic oppression. Most notably, Altadena became a place where Black families could build generational wealth through homeownership, with a high percentage of Black residents owning their homes and building thriving communities. 

Below are a few resources for folks impacted by the Altadena fire (via Afropunk and Walk Good LA) and a few local Black-owned businesses we love, including Octavia’s Bookshelf, ‘an independent bookstore in Pasadena where readers of all ages and backgrounds will have a wonderful time exploring our store of books written by BIPOC writers.’ Owner Nikki High has temporarily transformed her store into a refuge for those displaced by the California fires. You can visit and support Octavia’s Bookshelf here.

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RESOURCES FOR THOSE IMPACTED BY THE ALTADENA FIRE

Resources for those impacted by the Altadena fire (via Afropunk and Walk Good LA). Click images for direct links.

FROM THE ‘GRAM: local black & poc-owned businesses we love 💕

Click images for more. See our full post here.

From top left: Black Being LA Yoga & Wellness Studio, Yvette Bell Personal Trainer EVERYBODY Gym, Little Los Angeles Pop Up Restaurant, POT LA Ceramics Studio, Jessica Jade Yoga, Auntie’s Coffee, Pansy Esthetics, Stuzo Clothing, Deeper Genius Acupuncture, Sapphic LA Nightlife, INFLORESCENCE Floral Studio, Terrell Brooke of TheyHouseLA. ♥

RESISTANCE & RESILIENCE

We have felt an overwhelming outpouring of love and gratitude for and from our community these past two weeks. So many members have shared how important it is for them to have a truly safe and welcoming space at this time where they can connect with their bodies and work through the rage, despair, fear and even hopelessness that so many in our community are feeling right now.

📷 Pro Trans sign in our window circa 2018, filming Zumba with Camila during the 2020 shutdown, EVERYBODY Trainer and AIDS activist Sabel Samone Loreca, TGENBY Project on the patio.

In the wake of this week’s news cycle, we are more passionate than ever about finding ways to connect with community between the brick walls of real time and space. This is and always has been where the real revolution happens.

📷 Author and poet June Jordan, LGBTQ/ AIDS activist Cleve Jones

I hope among the networks you are building offline, EVERYBODY can play a part in connecting you with community, support, resources and resilience. We have always (and always will) protect and prioritize the needs of the most marginalized in our communities, including immigrants, LGBTQIA+ folks, disabled folks and people most targeted by this hateful administration that seeks to erase our safety, wellbeing and even our basic existence. 

📷 Yoga Instructors mxpujasingh and Naima Merella on HOMEBODY VOD.

The concept of “safe space” might feel as elusive as ever right now. There are many who do not trust that such a space is possible, especially now. The truth is we can never ensure safety, no matter how much we would like to. But we can keep building a culture that understands that the safety of our community is not predicated on perfection or some kind of utopic haven set apart from the flaws of humanity.

📷 Good Damage group strength class with Sonny & our Community Board.

True safety is born of courage; the courage to admit when we are uncertain, to take accountability when we are wrong. The courage to come together even when we sometimes disagree. The courage to show up and be part of something greater than ourselves. The courage not to numb but to feel everything deeply. The courage not to isolate, even when everyone and everything feels stacked against us. The courage to get offline and to find our people. 

We must find that courage again right now, and we will be open and ready to create space for building the kind of resistance training we have always been most interested in: the strength to rise up and refuse to allow fascism and dictatorship to eclipse our lives. 

We are here for all of it. We are here for all of you.

- Sam/ EVERYBODY

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📷 Group Classes, Personal Training and monthly Self-Defense workshops with Vanessa Carlisle, PhD are just a few ways members can build community, confidence, and skills.

PHYSICAL FITNESS AS RESISTANCE

The only people that benefit from us being weak, tired, and unable to fend for ourselves are our oppressors. Become physically fit not just for yourself, but for the people around you that desperately need you here!

EVERYBODY Personal Trainer Paulo shares the importance of physical fitness as resistance. Read more here.

When you start letting go of daily stress through movement and physical activity, you might find that focusing on one thing at a time, and the extra energy and positivity that come with it, helps you stay calm, clear, and focused in everything you do.

Consistency and progression are going to be the most important aspects of whatever fitness route you choose! Keep track of what you do every week and attempt to make each week a little bit more difficult. Our bodies are great at adapting and will need to be challenged constantly.

I believe in you, I believe in us, let's be ready so we never have to get ready. - Paulo Diaz

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OUR STANCE ON DEI

The principles of diversity equity and inclusion have always been foundational to our business and shared community values, and that is not about to change now. As DEI programs are being cancelled and those in power seek to erase our queer history and deny our lived experience altogether, we will continue to divest from companies that do not support Black, Brown, Queer, immigrant and other marginalized communities.

We will continue to honor Black History Month, Pride Month and to always uplift our Trans and immigrant communities and support businesses that recognize the inherent worth and dignity of all marginalized communities whenever and however they can.

Now more than ever, it is important to SHOP SMALL and to support Small Business, especially Black and minority owned businesses, many of which have also been severely impacted by the recent devastating Altadena fires. Collectively we have the power to effect change with our dollars and we will continue to do so amidst the onslaught of attempts at rolling back basic human rights by this Administration.

Many Black and other minority-owned products stocked at Target, Walmart, Amazon (and other companies that have prematurely cancelled their DEI programs in the wake of the new Administration’s federal slashing of DEI initiatives) can also be purchased directly from the businesses themselves. Visit @strikeforall for links to Black-owned and other minority owned businesses to support directly.

We hope you can find some time to connect with your body and community this week. We are always stronger when we come together.

📷 ‘RESIST’ - Our outdoor mural by artist Maria Pineres

Stay tuned for a spotlight on artist Maria E. Piñeres, creator of our gorgeous outdoor mural, appropriately named ‘RESIST’ in response to the 2016 election. Maria recently carried the RESIST theme into the interior of the gym in a recent revamp.

TBT// Our ACLU Pancake Brunch Fundraiser💔in 2017 featuring Ponysweat, Pancakes by sponsored member Sol Alvarez of L.A. Habana, and Sound Bath. We’ve been resisting ever since our very first week of opening and will continue to seek ways for folks to MOVE, BUILD or just BE in community.

A bittersweet message of resilience.

Our deepest sympathies and prayers for strength and recovery go out to our friends, family, members, and EVERYBODY team who have been displaced or devastated by the fires. We know many of our staff, members, and friends have been evacuated from their homes and remain uncertain about the status of their living situations. Tragically, we also know some in our community have confirmed total loss of their homes, apartments, and belongings. 

Our hearts go out to EVERYBODY staff members Sonny and Lena who lost their home in Altadena this week. If you have the means to donate, here is a link to their GOFUNDME. We wish them and everyone else who have lost so much to these fires a swift recovery from this loss and the ability to rebuild their homes and lives.

We know this is a challenging time for everyone and we want to make it clear that we are here to support our community in any way we can. May we all do what we can to help our city and neighbors rebuild their lives with our incredibly strong community support.🤍

Please visit @mutualaidla for a LIVE updating document and links to local and regional resources for folks impacted by the fires and those who wish offer support.

Jan. 10th also marks our 9th Anniversary and although it feels like a strange time to ‘celebrate,’ we’re sharing this story in hopes that it can serve as a bittersweet message of resilience to help ease us through yet another ‘unprecedented’ time. 

📷 Some TBT’s from 2016-2017: EVERYBODY Wellness Practitioner Lena, Blueprints, Construction, and our very first Member!

It is truly a miracle that we have reached this 9 year milestone of business operations. We've survived so much-- in our first year alone we got through a flood caused by a fallen telephone pole that crashed into our roof. (Hello?!) The next three years of business were financially tough as we grew and people started to slowly spread the word about our unique and inclusive model.  Just as we were getting some good traction, we faced a global pandemic that shuttered so many businesses and especially gyms-- but we survived thanks to our incredibly supportive community who kept taking classes online when we transitioned to a livestream platform overnight.

📹 EVERYBODY Yoga Instructor Liz screams into a pillow during a zoom class at the beginning of the Pandemic.

We had to remain closed for 6 months during 2020-2021, but folks continued to support us by coming and using the gym one at a time during peak Covid as the vaccines were being developed. We started offering offsite services as our van made our gym able to travel to beaches, pools and parks where open space and clean air allowed us to gather and hold space for our community coming out of isolation. We have continued to expand our online offerings into a full scale Video on Demand program for folks who prefer or are not able to make it to us in person. And since reopening our physical space in 2021 again, we have been able to grow our services, expand into new spaces and become the indispensable resource to our community that we are today. 

📷 Takin’ it Outside. And inside (your home).

In 2015 Co-owners Sam and Lake planted the seeds for a brave and inclusive environment for ALL bodies to move, strengthen and heal.

Most importantly, we’ve witnessed the power of community at work in times of struggle, loss, and utter disaster. And as our Friends, Family, and Members recover from deeply devastating losses, time strangely carries on. Anniversaries are important things, whether they help us remember achievements or losses, to celebrate or to mourn. They are necessary markings of time even during a time that feels entirely absent of the construct of time.

There will eventually be an anniversary of the Eaton Canyon/ Altadena (and other greater LA area) fires which destroyed so many homes (and places called home) for folks close in relation and proximity to us. And while that pain may never subside, we can find some healing and comfort in community, an outpouring of local mutual aid, and knowing that we will always have memories and stories of the deep roots and rich histories of such a magical place in our hometown of LA.❤️‍🩹

WHY YOUR MEMBERSHIP MATTERS.

One of the ways we have always departed from mainstream gym culture is by supporting our community members who need it most. We know a lot of folks simply can't afford gym membership who would most benefit from our services, and that's why we have created sponsored memberships and opportunities for those in need.

In January 2025 we continue our commitment to building an inclusive community by offering 10 sponsored (free) local all-inclusive and 10 online (HOMEBODY VOD) memberships. These memberships are for both locals and folks who reside outside the LA metro area.

If you are in need of our services, including access to a fully equipped gym, classes led by and for our diverse community, and HOMEBODY online programming (see below), we invite you to fill out our online form by 12/31/24 to be considered. Recipients will be notified early January.

Transgender, BIPOC, and disabled folks highly encouraged to apply! (Even if you reside out of state!)

Please note: Our 2025 application has been closed and our recipients have been updated.

We encourage folks to also share our sponsored membership application with friends, family, and any LGBTQIA+ orgs in ‘red states’ or more deeply affected areas who may greatly benefit from our online programming (more info below).

Thank you for your support and membership, which helps us subsidize and support these sponsorship opportunities.

We also want to make it abundantly clear that your body is the BOSS, and we’re here to listen to what you need to help you connect with your own body, just as you are. Our shared goal is for folks to feel better in their bodies, to love their bodies, and for movement to be a form of pleasure, not punishment. Unlike most gyms, we don’t tell you what you need to do or look like to be “fit” or “healthy.” Our mission is clear and guided by a fundamental goal of making health and wellness accessible, inclusive, and affordable for all people.

We understand that services and healthcare access are particularly at risk for our queer and transgender community members at this moment, and we would love to reach those in regions outside California where safe and guaranteed access to LGBTQIA+ affirming healthcare and services are being restricted and banned by the incoming Administration. To address these needs, we are currently producing our own Video on Demand programming, created by and for the community we serve, and viewable online 24/7.

WHAT IS HOMEBODY?

HOMEBODY VOD has evolved from ZOOM classes created overnight in the wake of the pandemic as a means for our own survival as a small business when our brick and mortar location was forced to close for 6 months in 2020. During this time, we had to go exclusively online, growing our audience overnight to people across the US and the world.

Most importantly, we developed HOMEBODY to show that people who have historically been excluded from fitness spaces and leadership are the most important people to feature at this critical time when representation matters most. We also recognize that there are many people who either require or prefer the ability to work out from home for their own comfort and safety.

Along with our core MOVE/BUILD classes, we deliberately celebrate movement in non-traditional forms that include restorative and non-aerobic modalities. Centering rest and restoration with our RISE/HEAL classes is just as important to health and wellness.

HOMEBODY offers a wide range of movement practices that give you a variety of options for home workout: Yoga, Pilates, Boxing, Barre, Dance, Aerobics, Tai Chi, Meditation, Self-Defense, Weightlifting tips for top surgery, Mobility, Core & more!

VOD is also included in our membership models or available as a separate subscription for non-local folks. (Or anyone who requires/ prefers an online only workout option.)

More info here.

Thank you for your membership and helping us support our Sponsored Members both IRL and online!

TRANS AWARENESS MONTH

November is Trans Awareness Month and Nov. 20th is Transgender Day of Remembrance.

On these days where we remember and honor those who have come before us, we pause to acknowledge how far their lives have taken ours. Especially at a time when their very existence was discouraged and denied. We honor their legacy by recognizing all the services and access and language and visibility that we enjoy today as beautiful gifts they have given us. May we honor the privileges we enjoy of being and becoming who we are even as we face forces that continue in vain to try and dim and extinguish our beautiful and eternal light. 

brief HISTORY

Transgender Day of Remembrance was founded in 1999 by a small group, including Gwendolyn Ann Smith, Nancy Nangeroni, and Jahaira DeAlto, to memorialize the murders of Black transgender women Rita Hester in Allston, Massachusetts, and Chanelle Pickett in Watertown, Massachusetts.

Remembering Rita Hester and Chanelle Pickett

VIA Transremembrance.org: What began a quarter century ago continues today. Activists and organizations around the world work collectively and independently to honor and remember our dead. We share names and stories, talk to loved ones, scour news and police reports, and build networks in our communities. Still, the work is never done, and the list is never complete.

Black trans women are more than the victims of anti-trans violence; they have always been at the forefront of the movement – building community, advocating for policy change, and organizing to protect our rights. Read more here.

90’ TRANSITIONING TBT

A note from Sam, EVERYBODY Co-Founder: In 1998 I remember standing in a line and then sitting in a row of chairs for up to five hours or more to be seen in a clinic on “Transgender Tuesdays” at the Tom Waddell Clinic in San Francisco.  This room was a sanctuary for people like me seeking care that was not yet available anywhere else. 

Tom Waddell Health Clinic in San Francisco

I remember how it felt like such a gift that the only cost was the endless wait. This was only made bearable by the gorgeous array of people in the room. Everyone shared their beauty tips and pointers for how to pass, where to get surgery and who to avoid. The jokes were nonstop, the comments searing and riotous. The stories were heartbreaking and hilarious in equal turn. The range of lived experiences in the room was vast and there were huge chasms of privilege between so many of us and yet there we were together, all in desperate need of the same free services the City of San Francisco was openly providing us. What a time to live through. I’m so grateful for this experience.

‘Transgender Tuesdays’ highlights the personal stories from and services provided to the Trans Community during the 1990’s at the Tom Waddell Clinic in San Francisco.

Today I want to honor those people who shared that room with me, 25 years ago as I know so many of them are no longer with us. We have lost too many of our elders far before we should have. Too many have been victims of mental illness and  forces of violence beyond their control.  And some of us live on, still fighting, still pushing forward and insisting on a more inclusive world. Sabel Simone Loreca (pictured below) was there with me in that room then, and I’m so grateful to still share space with my beautiful sister today.

Trans Community Advocate and Personal Trainer Sabel Samone Loreca

Thank you to Trans Advocate, Activist, and EVERYBODY Personal Trainer Sabel Samone Loreca for continuing to build and fight for safer communities, access to gender affirming health care, and resources for our Transgender community since the ‘The Bad Old Days’ of the early 90’s . Please follow Minority Aids Project and G.L.A.M.O.R. MAP for more.

TRANS AWARENESS MONTH & BEYOND

We are Trans and Woman owned and actively hire within the wide spectrum of our Queer and Trans communities. We are currently connecting with local orgs in ‘Red States’ to offer free online programming to Trans youth in need while locally continuing our sponsorship program for Trans folks at the Gym. We will also continue to support LGBTQ founded and focused orgs including Pink Haven Coalition: community defense, mutual-aid, and alternative systems of care for gender diverse people, Border Butterflies Project: an arm of the Trans Law Center assisting LGBTQ+ asylum seekers at the U.S. Border, and Miry’s List: assisting new arrival refugee families.

Border Butterflies Project

When we first opened our doors in 2017, we faced similar circumstances to the ones we find ourselves in today- a government taking power that openly opposes and blocks access to care for so many in our marginalized communities that are in struggle and need: the trans community, the immigrant community, BIPOC folks, disabled folks, survivors of sexual abuse, the elderly, the list goes on...

We will continue to show up for all our communities in need, to provide safe harbor and access to resources for hope, strength and resilience. We will continue to offer opportunities for our community to explore and expand relationships with our own bodies as sacred, inspired, whole, and a source of connection to all beings everywhere. May our movement practices deepen our compassion for ourselves, for each other, and provide a gateway to our own refuge and recovery.

May we continue to shine for our ancestors, transcestors and for each other, always.🏳️‍⚧️

MONSTER BASH wRESTLING RECAP!

The Reviews are IN! And so is Queer Wrestling! Thank you for making MONSTER BASH a SMASH!!

SHE-E-O goes for a flying clothesline against the Riot Ghoul’s! 📷 Anna Gustafson

Happy Halloween🎃and thank you to everyone who came out to MONSTER BASH queer wrestling match last week! It was our first ever LIVE Wrestling Match featuring EVERYBODY Instructors Candy Pain, American Oni and featured students from our highly popular Wrestling 101 classes at the gym. Plus a few other folks from the community, some of whom also wrestled at Trans Dudes of LA T-Boy Wrestling earlier in September!

 ICYMI: Here is a BRILLIANT write up on that historic night in the LA Times by Jireh Deng!

🔗www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2024-10-11/t-boy-wrestling-trans-dudes-la

L.A. Times T-Boy Wrestling feat. EVERYBODY Personal Trainer Paulo Diaz. 📷 Carlin Stiehl

Planting the seeds at Wrestling 101.

We went full nelson for this one and rented a full size 18x18 professional wrestling ring, which was constructed on site at our sister space: SIBLING Studio with the help of our wrestlers and local community volunteers. Kids, adults and even a few doggos got in the spirit by dressing up, holding signs, and cheering on their favorite wrestler. We fueled up on empanadas, hot chocolate, ice cold Modelos, had our cards read by Jessica Jensen, faces painted by Paint On Your Face , and played cornhole provided by local queer league Fun Bags LA. It was giving all ages FALL FAIR FUN!

📷 All photos by Jocelyn Perich and Anna Gustafson

Best of all, we were able to donate $500 to the Border Butterflies Project after expenses! The Border Butterflies Project is an arm of the Transgender Law Center providing resources to LGBTQIA+ Asylum seekers at the U.S. Southern Border. Please follow, share and support if you are able!

MONSTER BASH featured 6 rounds of queer and campy WWE-inspired wrestling featuring Riot Ghoul’s vs. SHE-E-O, Toxic Femme vs. Feminist Killjoy, Gender Cop vs. Gender Goblin, Malady Practice vs. Creature, Leather Daddy, Macho Mummy, and more! There was even an on-site Medic from the Professional Wrestling circuit. (You know, JIC!) Thank goodness he didn’t have to move a muscle.

But you know who did? Our brilliant Halftime Show cast & crew! Thank you to our PUMP THE JAM instructor MK Lordz for a soul stirring singalong to Yeah Yeah Yeahs Heads Will Roll and Halloween by Aqua featuring haute moves from some of our members. Even our REF, Oldie Hawn jumped in! PS, You can join MK’s Pump the Jam every Tuesday & Thursday at 8p @ EVERYBODY!

AMANDITA gave us G.L.O.W. wreslting match vibes with the tunes, while our HOMEBODY VOD producer ANNA handled the 80’s inspired tones. Shout out to our Ring Daddy Abby, Yay/ Boo Applause crew LGBTQ Studies professor Julian Sanchez and local poetry night producer Karla Lamb! Thank you again to all of our volunteers, wrestlers, and wranglers!

Will we rumble for a good cause again? YESSSS!! Stay tuned on @everybodylosangeles social for our upcoming weekend Wrestling 101 classes if you’d like to get more involved.

Riot Ghouls vs SHE-E-O 📷 by Jocelyn Perich

A note from our Co-Founder Sam:

Thank you to our entire crew for all your hard work and dedication-- I know there were a lot of hours put in to make this happen. I appreciate everyone's commitment to this, and I personally think this does more than just generate income for the benefit-- it builds our community, it allows time for folks to meet and socialize, and it serves an even greater purpose beyond that.

I spoke to a lot of people after the show who had such a great time and who also couldn't even put into words why they had so much fun. I think the scripted characters everyone put together achieved exactly the tone and message that I had hoped for in our initial meeting.

📷 by Jocelyn Perich

What I think this kind of spectacle of "sport" creates is really an opportunity that we rarely get to have in our community or world. It allows us to channel some of our more animal instincts and abandon the rules a bit... of course that requires a lot of careful planning and intonation which I felt was done exceptionally well.

Watching performative wrestling like this is kind of akin to what comedy clubs can do when people are given permission to laugh at things that are forbidden, unspoken or taboo in our culture-- except the bodies do the talking with big, exaggerated movements instead of words, and they are not simply laughing but also booing, cheering and loudly reacting to what is happening in the ring (almost as another character of the show).  The showdown between “Toxic Femme” and “Feminist Killjoy” really nailed (ha) some of the more subtle tensions in our communities with true comic genius!

📷 by Jocelyn Perich

I love how the "match" gives us permission to root for the one we want to win (the pairings were sublime), and I noticed an interesting tension between some of the characters where people were not sure whether to boo or cheer... That has so much potential to mine and explore!

Macho Mummy vs. Leather Daddy 📷 by Jocelyn Perich

I thought everyone did such a great job of both playing their characters and either slightly or overtly subverting them- turning them into complications for us to reflect on even at some of their most  memorably campy moments. It was working on so many levels, really. really was blown away with what folks brought to the stage, as well as behind the scenes!

Thank you all for showing up the way you did. It means so much to me and to our incredible, diverse, weird & wonderful community.

 -SAM / Co-Founder EVERYBODY

📷 by Jocelyn Perich

monster bash wrestling match!

EVERYBODY is🌈PROUD to present MONSTER BASH WRESTLING MATCH!🧟 Featuring Professional Wrestlers Candy Pain and American Oni! Saturday October 19 from 3-7pm.

QUICK N DIRTY DEETS:

HALLOWEEN COSTUMES & WRESTLING OUTFITS ENCOURAGED!

Food & Snax by The Ruby Fruit!

CASH BAR ON SITE: Water, Beer, Wine.

Stay tuned on social for MORE!

@EVERYBODYLOSANGELES

GET TIX HERE!

Come out and cheer on your fave wrestler in our 16 x 16 foot raised ring! Professional wrestlers Candy Pain and American Oni battle it out alongside some of LA’s finest in a NO HOLDS BARRED stiff (and campy!) competition for Wrestling Champ of LA!

Rolling w/ the kiddos? Check out our all ages spooky szn Fall Fair and games from 3-5pm! Stay for an old-fashioned Smackdown from 5-7pm. YES, PRIZES!

$25 /$35/ $50 sliding scale entry with proceeds going to Border Butterflies Project!* (Kids under 5 are free.)

Location: SIBLING Los Angeles: 3352 North San Fernando Road. Los Angeles, CA 90065

Rideshare strongly suggested. There are 2 marked accessible spots close to bldg. entrance.

Vibe: Candy Pain wrestling with Choke Hole

Volunteers: We have a few volunteer spots open! Volunteer with some set up either Friday October 18 or Sat. Oct. 19 (times TBA) and receive a free admission ticket for the event! Please email hr@everybodylosangeles.com with subject ‘wrestling volunteer’.

All Ages: Free entry for children under 5 years old.

*Border Butterflies is a coordinated coalitional response to the crisis of LGBTQ+ asylum seekers at the U.S. southern border. We provide legal and humanitarian support, policy advocacy, leadership development and community organizing. For more information and to support, please visit: https://transgenderlawcenter.org/border-butterflies-project/

MONSTER BASH Practice sesh @ EVERYBODY!

GET monster bash TIX HERE!

Please email hr@everybodylosangeles.com with any questions and…

GET READY 2 RUMMMMMMBLE!!

BONUS ROUND

Brush up on your body slam!

Join us for WRESTLING 101 every Sat. & Sun. in October until Oct. 19, the day of MONSTER BASH! No experience necessary! Sign up here.

homebodies & heroines

As the Autumn Equinox approaches, we’re FALLing hard for flannel season, warm colors and cool, crisp nights. September is ripe for harvesting the achievements we have worked so hard all year for. Hello abundance, is that YOU?

Fall Feels 

September 15th also marks the beginning of LatinX Heritage Month, so we are celebrating the vibrant roots of some of our Latiné and Latinx members and crew! Dive in deeper for spotlights on Mexican Women’s Curling Team member Veronica Huerta, Red Carpet reporter turned Trainer Marcela Isaza, Tamarindo Podcast producer Brenda Gonzalez, and Latinx Fire Sign Stoneware Founder Dee Clement!

Veronica Huerta, Marcela Isaza, Brenda Gonzalez, and Dee Clement

CURL JAM - VERONICA HUERTA

Shout out to our member and Mexican Women’s Curling Team Member, Veronica Huerta! Huerta represents her home nation of Mexico as a member of the National Women’s Curling Team and along with her crew, won the silver medal in Women’s Curling at the 2022 PanContinental Curling Championship. You may have also seen Veronica on our patio Monday nights at Sonny's Good Damage class at EVERYBODY, a perfect prep for Curling season!

When not at the Gym or training with the team, Veronica is a healthcare Infection Preventionist for Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center and is the Chair of the Homelessness and Housing Committee on the Glassell Park Neighborhood Council board. She also helped launch Northeast Neighborhood Outreach (NENO), a nonprofit that provides shelter, clothing, food, and other necessities to the homeless communities of Los Angeles.

Veronica Huerta (left) w/ Coach + Mexican Olympic Curling Team

“I want to thank @amarennotakaren, also a member of the gym, for introducing me to the sport of Curling, she changed my life.”

— Veronica Huerta

EVERYBODY is a proud supporter of Veronica on her way to the 2026 Winter Olympics! You can also join in supporting by donating to the Mexican Women’s Olympic Curling Team or check out their super cute store with Lotería inspired Curling shirts and more!

FROM BTS TO FEATURED GUEST - MARCELA ISAZA

Marcela recently made the leap from red carpet reporter to Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer. Rubbing elbows with top entertainers such as J. Balvin, Bad Bunny, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Pitbull, Lizzo, Calle 13, and Ice Cube was a dream come true, but Marcela felt she was missing something.

So she left behind a successful 20-year career as one of Hollywood’s top entertainment bilingual reporters to embark on new adventures in the health and wellness world. Swapping out glamourous red-carpet gowns for leopard jumpsuits, Marcela is now bringing her unique Colombian joie de vivre to unlock the swagger for her private clients and spin class participants. Born in Colombia and raised in Latino Los Angeles, she has learned how to convert mental strength into tools of physical movement that have empowered her body and lifted her soul. She is excited to share those gifts with others on their own journeys of self-empowerment.

She has been an avid fitness practitioner for 30 years and as a previously single, working mother, completely undersands the constant struggle of “I don’t have time.” Her life’s mission is to empower clients to be their best selves through the power of movement.

Marcela Isaza's amazing journey...

“The career switch from journalist to personal trainer was the most challenging part. I loved exercise myself, but would I enjoy teaching it? It was scary to walk away from a successful career as an entertainment journalist to start something so different...”

— Marcela Isaza via Voyage LA

Marcela has a bachelor’s degree from USC (University of Southern California) and is a NASM-certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor and a Les Mills RPM-trained spin instructor specializing in women’s fitness. She is also a featured guest instructor on EVERYBODY’s HOMEBODY VOD catalog!

Marcela Isaza on HOMEBODY VOD (photo by Slow Blink)

Catch Marcela IRL Wednesdays for her SPINDARELLA’S Spin class 6p at SIBLING, Fridays for HIP HOP TO THE CORE 9am at EVERYBODY, and 24/7 on HOMEBODY VOD!

Book Marcela Isaza for Personal Training sessions @ EVERYBODY here!

TAMARINDO PODCAST - BRENDA GONZALEZ

Founder & Co-Host of Tamarindo Podcast, Brenda Gonazalez is a self-proclaimed political nerd, a fitness instructor at EVERYBODY Gym, and nonprofit capacity-builder focusing on social justice nonprofits.

Born in Puebla, Mexico, Brenda lives in Los Angeles. Brenda’s experience as a formerly undocumented student shaped her interest in politics and she taught American Government at Cal State Fullerton before she was even eligible to vote. In response to negative rhetoric about the Latine community in political discourse, Brenda founded Tamarindo in 2016 with the mission to use comedy and laughter to illuminate important issues impacting the community. 

At the intersection of advocacy and self-care, Tamarindo is a lighthearted podcast where hosts Brenda and co-host Delsy Sandoval discuss politics, culture, and self-development. Each week on the podcast, you can expect insightful conversations on race, gender, representation and life.

Brenda Gonzalez, Delsy Sandoval & Tamarindo Podcast Guests

“We’re here to uplift our community through powerful conversations with changemakers, creatives, and healers. More than a podcast, Tamarindo builds community through virtual and in-person events, workshops, and creative retreats. ”

— Brenda Gonzalez

Tamarindo Podcast is now featured on Apple Podcasts Latine Creators! Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and be sure to check out the feature on Marcela Isaza!

You can always catch Brenda teaching Full Body Bootcamp Mondays @ 6p at EVERYBODY and 24/7 on HOMEBODY VOD!

Brenda Gonzalez on HOMEBODY VOD (photo by Slow Blink)

CERAMICS SIDE HUSTLE - DEE CLEMENT

EVERYBODY Personal Trainer Dee has her hands in many pots…

Dee Clement (she/her/ella) is a non-binary, latinx, NASM certified Personal Trainer at EVERYBODY whose focus combines strength building, improving self-confidence and mindfulness. Dee aims to help people reframe the way they think of exercise and societal expectations so that they can enjoy physical activity that connects their minds to their bodies.

As an athlete who has been participating in competitive and outdoor sports her entire life, she hopes to teach people how to meet their goals, but also prioritize rest, recovery, and listening to their bodies. Compassion is the key!

When not training folks at EVERYBODY Gym, Dee is busy hand crafting ceramics for her passion project Fire Sign Stoneware.

I am a born and raised socal native. I have an affinity for all things natural, handmade and aesthetically beautiful. I love the idea of turning basic household items into something more. Building these pieces by hand, so that everything in your home is a little piece of art.

I am inspired by west coast scenery and spirituality. I am also very influenced by my Mexican and Japanese heritage and pay homage to both cultures in my pieces. I hope you find inspiration in my pieces the way I did making them.

Trainer Dee & Doobie 🐾

“Being a Sagittarius, I have to constantly keep myself active with my hands and my imagination. For me, pottery is my form of art and therapy. It eases my mind and brings me so much joy.”

— Dee Clement, Fire Sign Stoneware

Book Dee for an IRL Personal Training session at EVERYBODY or catch her 24/7 on HOMEBODY VOD!

Shop Fire Sign Stoneware here!

Dee Clement on HOMEBODY VOD (photo by Slow Blink)

---

Thank you for reading our Journal! Would you like to share your thoughts or be featured on our IG? Send us a DM @everybodylosangeles.

For more resources on Latinx history, please visit:

www.zinnedproject.org

latino.si.edu

aug blog: CREW & MEMBER LOVE CLUB

We know it’s still Summer, but so much has been FALLing into our laps, we wanted to share! Here is a little late summer roundup of inspiring stories from our staff and members…

FALL IN GLOVE 🥊

Did you know our Boxing Basics Instructor Katie Singer is also a published author with a PhD in American Studies? Katie’s work engages the fields of African-American History and Culture through Oral History and Urban History, and in her new book ‘Alien Soil: Oral Histories of Great Migration Newark,’ she foregrounds stories of a city, and a historical era, that too often get told by those without lived experience.

“I draw on this academic background in my activist work, as well. I am involved in various political and social justice organizations around immigration justice, carceral reform, and the election of progressive candidates.

If oral histories were more often taught in the classroom, maybe some folks out there wouldn’t be quite so confused about our country’s story!”

— Katie Singer

Pick up your copy of Alien Soil here and Fall in Glove with Katie’s Boxing Class Tuesdays 6pm/ Thursdays 9am.

Coach Katie has been a champ filling in for Juri’s Boxing classes while he was on his Classical Guitar Summer Tour. What does boxing have to do with guitar? Juri is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Southern California where he is researching how the application of sport's psychology can help musicians with performance anxiety and stage fright.

Curious? Get a taste of Juri’s IRL Boxing Classes on HOMEBODY VOD or IRL here!

MINDFUL

August was the birth month of our lovely Leo Sabel and Transgeder Awareness Month! You can book Personal Trainer Sabel Samone Loreca Saturdays and Sundays as she has adjusted her schedule to focus on her passion working with the Trans-focused G.L.A.M.O.R. division of Minority Aids Project.

We also featured Sabel’s projects last week on IG for #NationalNonprofitDay. We wanted to also give a shout out to the Audre Lorde Health Program, your local body positive, sex positive, patient centered, trauma-informed sliding scale Health Care Provider centering the LBTQ community.

COSMIC EMOTIONS

Did you know our Yoga Instructor mx puja singh (they/them) is also a brilliant singer, songwriter, activist, and producer? Immerse yourself in COSMIC EMOTIONS, puja’s new album which will be out on their bday, Friday September 6th! They will also be having a release show + birthday party that night at 7p @kiefy.studio in LA. ‘plz help spread the word! I CANNOT WAIT TO PERFORM FOR YOU + CELEBRATE W YOU!!!!!!’ 🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Get your tix and stream Puja’s music here!

Corn stars

In other news…Our HR heroine Jamie has joined a new Queer Corn Hole league. Yes, @funbagsla, ‘LA’s first(?) queer she/they cornhole league’ is every Tuesday at the 4100 Bar in Silverlake starting this Tuesday 8/27. Butter her up by going to support and LET THE GAYMES BEGIN!

MEMBER LOVE CLUB

Thank you for mentioning us in your new blog, Jamie Hahn! We’re honored (ok, blushing) to be mentioned alongside Queersound and The Lex App as an engaging queer space to connect and meet new ppl! Here’s a little excerpt from 3 (and a half) Secrets to Making Queer Friendships in Los Angeles:

Jamie recently quit their 9-5 job to start their own marketing biz for artists, creative, and the queer community. Need more connection, direction, or just a little rebrand? Follow @jamiehahncreative and look for her note up on our EVERYBODY Community Board! Next time you’re in the gym (or see Jamie at a Queersound show or on the apps ), make sure to connect! A member to remember!

stuntin’

Wrestling 101 has been tons of fun and GOING STRONG since May. We recently welcomed Pro Wrestler American Oni to the team to add B2B Beginner Wrestling Dates while Pro Wrestler Candy Pain has gone full Nelson and is now part of a local play:

Happy Fall: A Queer Stunt Spectacular is an original theatrical experience about a queer closeted stuntman’s journey to discover himself in a world of faux masculinity, unmasking the importance and danger of being true to oneself. Happy Fall is running thru Sept. 8 at the LA LGBT Center.

DOUBLE DOWN

We are so excited that Queer Wrestling is making a comeback! Just heard on the Gaydar: Transdudes of LA are having an upcoming wrestling match Sept. 21st and our Wrestling Instructor American Oni will be participating! Follow them for more info! It looks like a super fun down n dirty, yall!

We’re also excited to announce we’ve been plotting and scheming our own special match with Candy and Oni for a while and will announce our date soon! Plan your outfits and get ready to RUMMMBBBBLLLLLE!!!! Curious? Check our schedge for the next Wrestling 101!

CREW CUTS

Some clips from last month’s Staff Social. <3

Stay tuned for next month’s Fall Member Feature on Veronica Huerta, Mexican Olympic Curling Team Medalist!

If you are a member and would like to be featured, please DM us at @everybodylosangeles or email media@everybodylosangeles.com

🥊BIGLOVE. - EVERYBODY

welcome new members!

Welcome new members! Just a reminder of who we are, some notes on our space and why we’re all here!

Our mission statement is written on our wall behind our Front Desk.

EVERYBODY IS COMMITTED TO CREATING A RADICALLY INCLUSIVE CULTURE FOR ALL BODIES TO MOVE, STRENGTHEN, AND HEAL.

We believe that you walked in worthy and that your body is the boss. We don’t make assumptions about your goals like most gyms do and we’re not here to blame and shame you into a routine that makes you feel worse instead of better. We’re here to listen to what you need to help you connect with your own body, just as you are. There’s nothing to fix because you’re not broken. Welcome.

MISSION AND VALUES

Health and wellness should be accessible, affordable and adaptive to all people regardless of their gender, sexuality, size, age, ethnicity or ability. This is unfortunately not the case in most mainstream gyms! We created this space because we understand that mainstream gym culture is bad for everyone, even the most bro-ey of gym bros.

And we know it is even worse for folks who don’t conform to the racist, ableist, fat-phobic, trans-phobic norms and ideals of big-box gym culture. We are here to model a new culture that makes creating & sharing inclusive space the new normal for all of us! Inclusive community is the key to our collective health and wellness.

Our Community Board is available for members to post and view community events and offerings.

OUR VALUES

We are a business founded on the core principles of radical inclusion, diversity and equity. Whenever we call ourselves a “radically inclusive business,” we mean that we have a zero-tolerance policy regarding racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, fatphobia, and transphobia. We remain committed to this often challenging and rigorous work.

Since our founding in 2016, we have consistently held these values as our guiding principles as a business, and we have facilitated accountability processes whenever we have encountered actions or attitudes that go directly against these values. This page serves to outline our core values, provide educational resources, name our expectations of each other and ourselves and share our working Action Plans to hold everyone accountable to this mission of intersectional liberation.

Our locker room is a shared, gender-neutral space. We also have private changing rooms.

BRAVE SPACE

What is the difference between “safe space” and “brave space”? We specifically don't say EVERYBODY is a "safe space" because safe space is not possible to ensure. While we make it explicit that we don't tolerate oppression or discrimination here, we don't pretend that the walls of this building keep out anyone's prejudice, ignorance, pain or privilege. In fact, we acknowledge that the project of creating radically a inclusive space here at EVERYBODY can, will and does inevitably invite a unique clash of cultures, beliefs, identities, ideas and lived experiences.

This is all part of the unique challenge of true radical inclusivity, which requires a lot of courage from all of us to create and maintain. Here are five ways we try to encourage what we call Brave Space:

1. Come open, willing and ready to learn.

2. Acknowledge the privileges you carry.

3. Actively listen.

4. Use inclusive language.

5. Try to have direct conversations whenever possible.

SOCIAL CONTRACT

As members of the EVERYBODY community, we each have a responsibility to help create & maintain a culture of inclusivity. Anyone who uses our space, from a day pass to an unlimited membership enters into a social contract that defines what radical inclusivity means to us. Our Social Contract is given to each new person who comes through our doors. We review and edit this contract regularly. It is available both in English and Spanish at our front desk.

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

WE INVITE ALL MEMBERS AND VISITORS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CREATION OF THIS NEW GYM CULTURE BY AGREEING TO HONOR OUR MISSION AS CITIZENS OF OUR COMMUNITY. YOU NEED TO SHOW UP DIFFERENTLY AT EVERYBODY THAN YOU WOULD AT A TRADITIONAL GYM.

What radical inclusivity means to us: We created this space because we understand that mainstream gym culture is alienating to many people and often toxic and oppressive. At EVERYBODY, we celebrate all bodies, abilities, sizes and fitness backgrounds and encourage a holistic approach to health and wellness. We create programming for all bodies, whether you are brand new to gyms or a lifelong gym user. Big-box gyms stress weight loss and diet culture. Losing weight may be a personal goal of some members, but at EVERYBODY we embrace weight neutrality. We never make assumptions about our members’ health or fitness goals based on their size.

We offer a wide range of classes including yoga, pilates, boxing, aerobics, HIIT, barre, strength training, core, mobility and more!

OUR ONLY ASSUMPTION IS THAT OUR MEMBERS ARE HERE TO FEEL BETTER.

How do we achieve radical inclusivity? EVERYBODY strives for inclusivity at every level, from our hiring & programming to our unique facilities, which includes the industry’s first all-gender locker room and sauna. Each member and visitor who walks through our doors enters into a unique social contract.

Every gym has heavy weights to lift. At EVERYBODY, we also ask you to actively lift up the community. We expect every person to participate in this inclusive project regardless of their perspective or identity. We center folks who are traditionally marginalized in mainstream gym culture, and this provides a unique opportunity for all of our members to show up in support of each other.

EVERYBODY TRAINER SABEL (she/her). You can see all of our Personal Trainers here!

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

1 Create space and show respect to one another regardless of race, gender, gender presentation or sexuality. We have a zero tolerance policy for racism, sexism, transphobia, or homophobia of any kind.

2 Come with an open mind and willingness to learn. Do not make assumptions regarding the experiences of others. There are many members of the gym who identify as transgender or gender non-binary. There are folks here whose appearance may not align with their gender identity. Please ask for & share your pronouns whenever possible so as to not make assumptions and accidentally misgender someone.

EVERYBODY Non-Binary Trainer Dee (They/Them)

3 At an inclusive gym, assume that there are members with disabilities, both visible and invisible. Person-first language (ie. person with disability vs disabled person) is a best practice unless directed otherwise by the individual themselves. In your interactions with a person with a disability, be mindful that the person may not wish to disclose the details of their disability. Follow all posted signs prioritizing access for members with disabilities.

4 If you do make a mistake, promptly acknowledge it, apologize, and move on. Mistakes happen, and making it a bigger deal than necessary can sometimes do more harm than good. Mistakes are opportunities to learn and grow!

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.

6 Be brave. Creating a truly inclusive community takes courage. EVERYBODY brings together people with different perspectives, identities, and experiences. Be open to sharing space with others who are different from you. Keep in mind that If you have a concern with someone directly and are not in any danger, it may be most beneficial to both parties to have a direct dialogue.

Our indoor free weight area.

GENERAL HOUSE RULES

• Follow all posted signage.

• Use no more than 2 machines at once.

• Limit time on cardio machines to 20 minutes during peak hours.

• Wipe down and return equipment after use.

• Use headphones for all music and personal media.

• Refrain from unnecessary noise/ grunting/loud talking/shouting.

• Wear appropriately modest clothing and shoes at all times.

• Do not arrive at the gym under the influence of any drugs or alcohol.

• Do not introduce strong odors into the gym. This means monitoring your body odor and limiting the use of scented products.

• Close restroom doors when using toilets.

• Understand that the locker room is a shared, gender-neutral space and that while there is privacy for changing, showering and using the bathroom, there may be people who choose to change publicly.

• If you do change publicly in the locker room, do your best to be respectful, courteous and mindful of those around you.

• No minors are allowed.

• No pets are allowed besides service dogs.

FIND A FRIEND!

Have you seen our EVERYBUDDIES Board? Post a note on our EVERYBUDDIES Board to find a Workout Partner!

If you have questions about the social contract, our community or our mission, please ask. Our staff is here to help! We also have a suggestion box located by our Front Desk. You can also find more information on our website under Policies, Resources, and Action Plans.

See you at the Gym!

QUEER ALL YEAR

Pride, indeed, is a protest. It's a protest of joy, a protest of hope, a protest of peace, a protest of possibility, a protest of passion, a protest of playfulness, a protest of undoing what's been done, a protest of becoming what you have always been or what you have never dared to be before.

Personal Trainer Sabel drenched in a Rainbow in front of our Mission Statement.

As a queer owned, operated, patroned & beloved business, we celebrate Pride all year long, but we also recognize the sacred month when we pause to be together and celebrate as a community. Community is so sacred. It isn't always easy, as anyone in the queer community knows who has been around a while. It is a special kind of blessed curse to know that the folks in your queer universe circle you so tightly, across the decades and state lines and all the other boundaries of time and space. Anyone with an ex can attest! I sometimes marvel at how we stay in each others lives despite our winding and diverging pathways through this life together.

Front Desk Fam Jamie and Brit at Dyke Day LA

When we come together over and over again, it reminds us that we are essentially one big family. For so many of us who either have lost family or chosen to leave it behind, this is a tremendous gift.  I am wishing everyone out there today a Pride month filled with connection and joy, comfort and community. May you be with those who love you truly and deeply and find time to honor yourself as well. 

-Sam / EVERYBODY

Did you miss us at the 16th Annual Dyke Day LA Pride event at Sycamore Grove Park? Enjoy some pix of our crew and members below!

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