Cody Rigsby

Cody Rigsby, a celebrity fitness guru and self-described “opinionated homosexual,” began his career as a professional dancer and launched to international fame as a Peloton instructor. In a sign of his mainstream credentials, he was selected to compete on Dancing With the Stars in 2021.

But Rigsby is aware that his work has a wider impact than giving people a fun workout. “I have a platform within the fitness space that reaches millions of people from the comfort of their own homes,” he says. “I use my platform to be a role model who is unapologetically authentic while changing the minds of people who may not know a gay person.”

Things weren’t always easy for Rigsby, who grew up gay in the conservative South with parents battling addiction. He learned to survive, but he found himself “confronting his own bullshit” with “survival skills that manifested into toxic behaviors.” Through a combination of therapy, meditation, and creating a relationship with himself, Rigsby is learning to heal and evolve. A part of this process included the release of his first book, XOXO, Cody: An Opinionated Homosexual’s Guide to Self-Love, Relationships, and Tactful Pettiness.

Thankfully, Rigsby is full of strength both in and out of the gym. “The queer experience is multifaceted, from the way that we dress, the way that we express, and the way that we love. No matter how much you try to erase that, we are not going anywhere, because we’ve always been here,” he says. “Unfortunately, I feel like we are heading into a really turbulent time for queer rights. Buckle up, because we have to continue the battle that was started by queer people before us.”

As for what’s ahead, Rigsby wants to keep spreading joy. Oh, and he really wants to be a guest judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race. @codyrigsby