It’s 2025, so queer people should be able to feel comfortable going to any business, but that reality is that that is not always the case, even in a city like Denver. We opened Worth The Fight Boxing & Fitness Studio because we wanted to make a safe inclusive fitness studio for all. Both owners of Worth The Fight are queer and have felt uncomfortable or unwelcome in fitness environments before. Cofounder Gladys Santiago also used to weigh 270 pounds and began going to gyms and fitness studios as an overweight person, where she was sometimes teased or harassed and felt judged. This made her extra sensitive to concerns that minority groups experience in gyms and fitness studios. (She has since lost 130 pounds!) Many places will tell you they care about being diverse or inclusive, but it’s mostly lip service. We believe elitism and exclusion have no place in fitness, and we designed Worth The Fight Boxing Denver from the ground up to be a top queer-friendly gym from the coaching to the culture to the community.
Get a risk-free week of unlimited classes at our queer-friendly gym and see if it’s for you! (The trial comes with no commitment.)
What’s the Best Queer-Friendly Gym in Denver?
Sign up to try a class at queer-friendly gym Worth The Fight Boxing Denver!
The best queer gym in Denver is Worth The Fight Boxing! Here’s why:
Worth The Fight Boxing Denver was built from day one to be a queer-friendly gym. Being welcoming and inclusive is mission-critical to us. It’s even in the name: Worth The Fight, as in everyone is worth the fight (or WTF, if you prefer, we don’t take ourselves too seriously). It’s not an afterthought for us. A big reason for that is because both cofounders are queer, and one is also a Hispanic woman who lost 130 pounds through fitness. We have been uncomfortable in fitness studios and gyms before, and we know it takes intentionality and prioritization to create a truly queer-friendly gym. Ownership matters. Ownership sets the culture for the business. Come see if Worth The Fight Boxing Denver is the queer gym for you with a week long trial of unlimited classes for $29. There is no risk – the trial does not roll over into a membership unless you choose.
To be one of the best queer gyms in Denver takes a well-selected and well-trained coaching staff. We incorporate questions about diversity and inclusion into our interviews and consider their response when making hiring decisions. When we train our coaches, we teach them to be sensitive to the issues that all minority groups might face in the gym, including queer people. We make it clear that being welcoming, accepting, and non-judgmental is our raison d`etre, our formative reason for existing. We have all new people come 15 minutes early to their first class, so they have time to work with the coach before class to learn the punches and get to know them. If you are interested in trying Worth The Fight but still nervous or intimidated, don’t worry, that is very normal, especially for those who haven’t boxed before. Feel free to give us a text or call at 303-720-6071, and we are happy to answer any questions and address any concerns you have as a new person! I highly recommend calling if you can because cofounder Gladys has been through the same thing and can help you build the confidence to come. We also recommend bringing a friend with you for your first class. You can both get week long trials of unlimited classes (no commitment after that) or you could buy a 2-class intro pack and gift a credit to your friend.
Worth The Fight Boxing also has a great community of members, which is key to being a top queer-friendly Denver gym. Our fitness studio is not 100% queer people. but it is definitely disproportionately queer (including members of the vast majority of queer subtypes). We’ve had queer couples meet at our gym, and we’ve had lots of people make lifelong friends. It’s a lot more fun to work out in a class when you jibe with the people there. By nature of who we are as a business, we attract a more alternative crowd. Iconoclasts, not influencers. We also make a big effort to help members bond with one another. We have regular social events for our members. Gladys is also the founder of Thick Thighs Run Club, a free body-positive inclusive run club focused on community and socialization over speed, which also creates additional opportunities for inclusive socialization.
Boxing is a great form of fitness for queer people, which is another reason Worth The Fight Boxing Denver is a queer-friendly gym. With concerns rising about hate crimes, learning self-defense is critical for queer people. At Worth The Fight, you will both get in shape and learn how to defend yourself. Worth The Fight also offers kickboxing, mitt work, strength training, and yoga – it can meet all your fitness needs in one place. Worth The Fight Boxing has also been commissioned to put on self-defense classes for queer people multiple times.
If group fitness classes aren’t your thing, this queer-friendly gym also offers personal training (including trauma-informed personal training offered by cofounder Gladys). You can text or call us at 303-720-6071 to get more information about personal training.
