The fitness culture is still relatively young; health clubs have only been a part of mainstream society for the past forty-or-so years. The early days of fitness were heavily influenced by the Gay (now LGBTQ) community. In response to a recent flap about Pride month and Crossfit, Dr. Natalia Petrzela, a Professor of History and a host of the Past Present podcast, wrote this column about the evolution of fitness culture and the role that LGBTQ individuals played in that process.

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