The owner of a gym in Canada has backtracked after someone posted a photo of the gym’s business cards online. The business in question is Fitness2Life in Armstrong, British Columbia.
Besides listing the gym’s facilities, and featuring a Jesus-like muscle man carrying a hefty-looking crucifix, on their reverse, the cards also feature a logo of a man and a woman and the words ‘straight pride’.
Someone posted images of the cards to Facebook last week, where they prompted many shares and thousands of comments.
“Disappointing to see a business actually putting “straight pride” on their business card,” said Dailene Cowles on a local Facebook group, ‘Vernon Rant and Rave’. “I’m all for Live and Let Live, but sometimes we have to stand up for what’s right. Especially with something SO wrong.”
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The owner of the gym, Peter Nenasheff, told local press he does not have a Facebook account so he has not seen the comments. However, he says he received several phone calls, some criticizing and others supporting him. He told Vernon Morning Star, “It was not to offend anybody, it was just my freedom of expression. Everybody is welcome in my gym.”
The cards were printed last August, so Nenasheff was surprised at how they suddenly prompted controversy.
“It’s just my personal view, we don’t have a right to judge anybody. I’m not judging anybody with what I put on that card. I guess maybe I shouldn’t have put it there,” he conceded, before saying some of his customers are gay.
“I know I have gay members coming here. I’m not against anybody, any color, race, nationality, nothing, everybody is welcome to the gym.”
Nenasheff told CBC that he just felt pride about being heterosexual and wanted to express that.
“I am proud that I’m a straight guy … I [take] no offense if someone is proud that they are gay. Everybody has their right to choose their lifestyle they want to live or whatever it may be and I don’t get offended if someone has gay pride on their window or car or wherever it may be.”
The gym has been running for 20 years. Nenasheff took it over 12 years ago.
Related: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez destroys ‘straight pride’ in one tweet
On the front of the card was the logo of a local coffee shop business, Cherry Hill, a supplier to the gym. When the cards were brought to the attention of that business, a spokesperson said its logo had been used without permission and that it had asked the gym to remove all the offending cards.
“We did not give the owner permission to use our logo on his business cards, and since it is a registered logo we may pursue further action,” said president David Bigelow. “The straight pride logo has no affiliation with our company, and Cherry Hill Coffee opposes the use of the logo and what it represents.”
It later posted a comment to its Facebook page saying, “Our Cherry Hill family strongly believes that diversity fuels innovation and that inclusivity creates acceptance. We strive to create an environment where our family, our friends and our valued employees are free to celebrate their authentic selves.”
The business cards have now been pulled and Nenasheff says his cards in the future will make it clear that everyone is welcome at the gym.
Mister P
He is not saying he is proud to be heterosexual. He is actually saying he is proud to not be gay.
He has never been shamed for being straight so he can forget the pride bullshit he wants people to believe.
Cam
My guess is that he is a major closet case and is overplaying the “I’M NOT GAY” angle in the misguided attempt to throw people off of his scent….which is most likely something by Calvin Klein.
That or he’s just a nasty bigot.
Kangol2
Great points. Calvin Klein could never butch it up, no matter how much he posed and hugged up with his ex, Kelly Klein. That always looked like a farce!
innocentgay
That sounds like a busy-ass card. Anything else squeezed on there?
Troysky
….Can I just say the model in this picture …I could devour morning, noon and night.
ShiningSex
he looks boring
Terry
To each his own, but … eewww and yuck. Do you always go for men who say they’re straight and proud of it?
Troysky
@ShiningSex…… why?
@Terry ….just thought the guy was a model, not necessarily if he was the owner? Are you sure he is the guy?
butchqueen
Terry – Hey dipshit, did you notice “Photo posed by model (Photo: Shutterstock)”?
Troysky
@butchqueen ….thanks man, I simply like the model. Not that complicated.
Chrisk
This is such BS. In the last few years “Straight Pride” has been a thing to counter gay pride. It’s usually made up of rabid nazi’s who have other agenda’s. All his talking points have been used verbatim.
I hope his few gay customers abandon him.
ShiningSex
another moron who thinks straight pride means something.
sillyme
Has anyone here commenting tried to talk to the man and find out if any of it is for fact on everything? I will as soon I as get off of the site here and see if he has a business email that I may use. Then I’ll see about a real comment about him.
Cam
Except the article already contained quotes by him.
It’s cute that you guys keep coming on here to always defend anti-LGBT bigots and think it will fool anybody.
Jon in Canada
This fool should join the Chinese Contortionist’s performances, because those contortions of rancid, not-at-all-subtle homophobic “logic” would definitely fit in there.
LumpyPillows
He either is insulting to gay people or he is a moron. He might be both. He’s probably also an All Lives Matter jerk too.
michel_banen
Don’t like that gym ? Simply stop going there. If people stay away the problem will solve itself; the gym will go out of business and / or the logo on the card will magically disappear which is what happenend.
Aires the Ram
Excellent point michel_banet. If you own a business that serves the public, you must serve the public, whomever it is that walks in the door, as long as everyone follows established rules for everyone’s comfort and safety. Another way to say what you said, is, “Money talks, and Bulls*it walks”. He probably won’t go out of business over it, but he will undoubtedly have a drop in customers.
Troysky
@Michel and @ Aires.t.R. …..thought the same.
ChrisGMN
Everyone has a right to “choose their lifestyle.” That says it all right there. #closetcase
AllenSF
In my experience men that are comfortable in their skin and sexuality don’t do things like this. Something else is going on here…