by Mandi Kane
Daily Lobo
Pride Gym is not your everyday neighborhood gym by any means.
Sure, you get a smile and a fresh towel when you walk through the door, but at Pride Gym there are no lines to use the machines, no time limits on equipment and most importantly, there are no women.
"I wanted to create a gay-oriented environment," said Dave Bedford, the gym's owner.
"Most cities have a gay gym," he said. "But Albuquerque didn't, and there was a market for it."
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Bedford opened Albuquerque's only private men's health club seven years ago after a gay community center closed its doors. Since then, the business has thrived.
"Here, members don't feel uncomfortable," said Michael Baker, Pride Gym manager. "It is not intimidating or threatening."
Malcolm, a gym member who only wanted to be known by his first name, said Pride Gym is the best place in Albuquerque to be gay.
"You can be yourself here, and be proud of it," he said.
Baker said most members are attracted to the facility for the fellowship and friendship the atmosphere promotes.
"When men walk through the door, they catch up on small talk," he said. "Everyone knows and cares about everyone else. It is like Cheers, everyone knows your name."
A member, who only wanted to be known as Bob, said the socializing has kept him a member since the first week the club opened.
"It keeps me in touch with the community," he said. "Coming here is like a ritual."
Bernardo Gutierrez, a Pride Gym employee agreed and said he appreciates the assistance he gets from other men.
"We all help each other out with workouts," Gutierrez said. "There is always someone who is willing to spot you. It is like a family."
Baker said the club's perks are not just the friendships, but the amenities as well.
Each television has a VCR so members can watch movies, and complimentary water bottles line the club's shelves. The staff at Pride Gym will help members out by sending their faxes and making their copies while they work out, Baker said.
"We will even do your laundry," he said.
The club features state-of-the-art equipment, free weights and "the best Smith machine in the state," Malcolm said.
Men also enjoy massages, a steam room, a health food bar, yoga, aerobics classes and skin care advice at the facility.
The club has plans to renovate the gym's appearance to include fung shui techniques and artwork from UNM students.
The club is also very proud of its contributions to the community. A percentage of the profits, Baker said, go to causes such as Habitat for Humanity and New Mexico AIDS Services.
While predominately for homosexuals, the gym welcomes those who are straight.
"We are from all walks of life," Baker said. "No one discriminates here."
