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News

The Gays Protested—Now SoulCycle's Attendance Numbers Are Flopping

It looks like the boycotting of a brand finally worked for once!

Raffy Ermac

Digital Director, Out.com

Raffy is a Los Angeles-based writer, editor, video creator, critic, and digital director of Out Magazine. The former editor-in-chief of PRIDE, he is also a die-hard Rihanna and Sailor Moon stan who loves to write about all things pop culture, entertainment, and identities. Follow him on Instagram (@raffyermac) and Twitter (@byraffy), and subscribe to his YouTube channel.

Read Full Bio

Raffy Ermac

byraffy

September 05 2019 6:19 PM EST

May 31 2023 3:17 PM EST

Luxury fitness brands SoulCycle and Equinox caused quite the uproar in August when it was revealed that their owner (and chairman of The Related Companies) Stephen Ross was hosting a massive fundraiser for the reelection of Donald Trump. Outrage was swift, with calls for boycotts of both the brands from LGBTQ activists and allies quickly making rounds on social media—and apprently, the boycotts worked.

According to membership data compiled by Earnest Research and reported by Vox, in the fallout of the Trump fundraiser news, SoulCycle's attendance has been steadily declining.

When compared to last year, attendance for the indoor cycling workout classes has been declining week over week. In the first seven days after the news of Ross' Trump fundraiser, SoulCycle attendance was down almost 1 percent. Two weeks after, attendance was down 6 percent. And nearly four weeks after, attendance was down a whopping 7.5 percent.

Earnest Research also reports that big portions of SoulCycle's overall attendance over the whole summer was from people in very liberal cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York, which is part of the reason why Ross' ties to Trump's reelection hurt its attendance numbers, especially since the brand has always marketed itself as LGBTQ-inclusive and accepting.