Solidarity isn’t a Slogan

Dear OUT friends, 

It’s Black History Month, and I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to honor that in a real way, not just with quotes or a playlist. For me, it means remembering that every right we enjoy today was fought for by trailblazers who refused to accept that some people deserve safety and dignity while others don’t. It means centering the truth about our shared histories, and not hiding behind censorship and revisionist textbooks because the truth about our past is “uncomfortable.”

Progress isn’t made in comfort zones.

That’s why OUT is standing in solidarity with Minneapolis and with every community pushing back against violence and lawlessness perpetrated by ICE. It’s also why we closed in solidarity for ICE Out MN and the National Strike days in January. Not as a momentary gesture, and definitely not as a branding exercise, but as a values-driven decision rooted in who we are as a team of humans trying our best to make the world a little brighter and safer.

Some people may wonder why a fitness and wellness nonprofit is speaking up about this. Here’s the simple answer: LGBTQ+ equality does not exist as a separate movement. The same forces that target immigrants, Black communities, and other marginalized people are the forces that try to control bodily autonomy and decide whose love is “real” love. If we’re serious about building a lasting world where LGBTQ+ people can live openly and safely, we have to care when our neighbors are being harmed - because none of us are truly safe when any of us can be treated as disposable.

I don’t have a perfect closing line for this, and I don’t want one. I just want you to know where we stand, and that we’re going to keep showing up with you - not only in the work of making health and fitness more inclusive, but in the work of protecting each other and staying united when it matters most.

In solidarity, 

Paul Salvador & the OUT team