CrossFit on Wednesday fired an employee
after he tweeted that celebrating LGBT Pride is a “sin.”
Russell Berger was the company's chief
knowledge officer and a de facto spokesperson.
On Wednesday, Berger tweeted his
support for an Indianapolis CrossFit gym's decision to cancel a
workout in honor of LGBT Pride Month. The decision sparked an
exodus, with many of the gym's coaches and employees quitting in
protest. According to local media reports, the gym, CrossFit
Infiltrate, has notified members that it is closing.
“As someone who personally believes
celebrating 'pride' is a sin, I'd like to personally encourage
#CrossFitInfiltrate for standing by their convictions and refusing to
host an @indypride workout,” Berger tweeted. “The intolerance of
the LGBTQ ideology toward any alternative views is mind-blowing.”
The company announced on Twitter that
it had fired Berger.
“The statements made today by Russell
Berger do not reflect the views of CrossFit,” the company said.
“For this reason, his employment with CrossFit has been
terminated.”
Berger, also a pastor who described
himself as holding “orthodox, historic Christian beliefs,” told
BuzzFeed
News that he stands by his comments.
“My actual point I was making, I
still affirm it,” he said.