No Judgment Fitness, a Queer woman—owned small business in White Center, was founded in 2022 by personal trainer and former UK soccer player Sophia Walker, who identifies herself as "super Gay." Over the past few years, Walker has taken pride that No Judgment is a place where people can come to learn how to "do more, not be less," contrasting itself from the toxicity and machismo found in mainstream health and fitness culture. On the gym's website, you can find photos of Walker wearing a backwards baseball cap, flexing her biceps, and eating the gym's logo: pink, frosted, sprinkled donuts.

No Judgment stands out from other gyms by primarily focusing on serving Transgender people. Walker writes that she "explicitly wanted to make a place where trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming people could feel safe."

How the gym upholds that is through its rules: Walker reserves the right to turn people away, with any negativity toward other people's bodies or identities resulting in an immediate ban. Misgendering works on a three-strikes system: first a warning, then a talk with Walker, and finally a ban. Also, the person who is misgendered does not pay for that session; the one who misgenders will. Thankfully, Walker says there has only been one instance of that, with the rest of the cis-het patrons who may have struggled having since been taught those expectations.

Despite being open two years, the gym has intentionally avoided publicity, as Walker admits "we have had to turn down marketing opportunities in order to keep a low profile." The gym has sadly been subject to threats and harassment since its inception, over the phone and online through email and reviews. Walker mentioned a man from Tennessee who for several months made it his mission to tank the gym's Google rating. It finally took her getting Google itself involved to block the man and restore the gym's reputation.

Local Queer-owned gyms like No Judgment Fitness are doing the work to push back against the racism, sexism, and transphobia in fitness spaces. Walker stressed to us that her primary focus is always the well-being of her patrons, stating that as a personal trainer, "you're supposed to make people feel better about their bodies, and not cause any harm." She also recommends checking out the "Maintenance Phase" podcast, which dispels harmful misconceptions about health and well-being peddled by the fitness industry.

In addition, Walker offers free and reduced-price classes to those who financially struggle, with monthly schedules and priority given to BIPOC people first. Any money donated to the gym she matches with her own funds to ensure that more low-income people can participate. She also continues to enforce a double vaccination check and masking mandate in all her classes to mitigate COVID-19 risks.
In the past year, No Judgment has struggled, like many other businesses in Seattle have. So if an all-inclusive Trans-friendly gym sounds enticing, then perhaps give No Judgment Fitness a go.

For more information visit www.nojudgmentfitness.com