Vancouver fitness studio creates safe space for 2SLGBTQIA+ community as Pride month begins

As Pride month kicks off this June, a Vancouver fitness studio is aiming to create an inclusive space for all 2SLGBTQIA+ people.

Dylan Archambault is the co-founder and creative director of CMMN GRND, which he describes as a fitness and social wellness collective in Olympic Village.

He says, he created the Vancouver Pride Global Wellness Hub by CMMN GRND in partnership with the Vancouver Pride Society last year, to help support the health and wellness of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

“We’ve put together a selection of wellness and fitness classes from June 4th to 10th for members the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, the whole purpose being to remind people that queer folks and bodies are deserving of wellness,” Archambault explained.

“The Global Wellness Hub will offer new and fun offerings this year starting on Sunday, June 4th, with a sex education class. We sort of had this idea that even in high school, a lot of queer folks don’t necessarily get the sex education that we need. We also have other things like a queer breath work class, a sound bath and storytelling class, adaptive yoga for queer disabled people, a circuit training class specifically for trans and gender fluid folks, as well as a QTBIPOC meditation class.”

He says the Vancouver Pride Global Wellness Hub is an intersection between Pride month and Global Wellness Day, which takes place on June 10, with a celebration planned at the Milton Wong Plaza in Olympic Village.

“We know that carving out queer-specific spaces within fitness and wellness is such a pivotal part of collective healing from trauma and fear, as well as an important part of community building for all queer folks,” Archambault told CityNews.

“It’s important to take the time this Pride month to celebrate and be with our community and take care, because the (2SLGBTQIA+) community deserves and needs it,” he continued. “This is especially true given the ongoing discrimination and hate especially in the U.S. for trans, non-binary and queer bodies — it’s important to remind people that fitness is queer.”

The Vancouver Pride Global Wellness Hub at CMMN GRND, June 4-10th, check out their website.