Well, that didn’t land well. A Bengaluru gym decided to pump up their promotional game with a poster that can only be described as an absolute miss. The ad, which was plastered around the gym, read: “Gays can’t re-rack the weights, are you?” Yes, you read that right. Apparently, the gym’s marketing department decided that homophobia was the best way to motivate their members. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t.
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Reddit Weighs In: Gym Gets Major Side-Eye
The poster was spotted by a Reddit user who, understandably, was more interested in the “wtf” moment than the dumbbells. They shared the image on r/bangalore with the caption:
“Spotted this at a very prominent gym in HSR Layout. I get that people leaving weights around is annoying for everyone, but using ‘gay’ as a slur or an insult on a poster is wild to me.”
Uh, ya think?
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Gay Logic: It’s Not Just Homophobia, It’s Bad Logic Too
Imagine trying to hit your deadlifts while staring down at a sign that’s doing the absolute most to be problematic. Talk about a vibe killer.
But wait—there’s more. A particularly sarcastic user took it to the next level with a bit of history lesson and a side of sass. “I don’t remember which country, but when they declared homosexuality an illness there, people protested by calling their bosses and saying I’m sorry, I’m ill. I’m feeling gay. I can’t come to work today.” Honestly, if there’s one way to use sarcasm to outshine ignorance, it’s this.
And, oh, it gets better. Other users pointed out the blatant lack of logic. “Not only is it homophobia, but it’s also stupid logic. If a gay person is coming to the gym and is able to unrack the weights to do their sets, how do you then arrive at the fact that they cant rerack the weights?” Honestly, the amount of brainpower required to be this illogical could probably power a treadmill, so maybe the gym should install one for their creative team.
Apology Served, But Is It Too Late?
Of course, the gym realized they’d stepped into it (you know, after the internet basically gave them a virtual slap across the face) and issued a very on-brand apology. According to a screenshot shared by a Reddit user, the gym said:
“We really apologise for the poster. Our intention was not to hurt or target any community. We respect everyone’s individuality, and our creative team went wrong. Please consider this a personal apology from the owner and the brand.”
Translation: Oops, we’re still learning, and we’ll do better next time, promise. In fact, the gym took down the offending poster, though the apology itself could not be verified. (Le sigh—we’ll just assume it was the bare minimum.)
So, what’s the takeaway here, kiddos? Homophobia in 2026 is about as welcome as a guest who asks “So, when are you going to get married?” at your dinner party. The gym may have removed the poster, but they’ve left us with one thing to consider: maybe we’re all too busy re-racking the weights to be bothered by the absolute trash that’s still circulating in public spaces.
But in case you missed the memo, we’ll make it easy: use “gay” as an insult in 2026, and you’re going to need more than just a few protein shakes to work off that big mistake.
Source: Money Control