Happy PRIDE Week: Celebrate the LGBTQ+ Community in the Outdoors

Many fantastic organizations and individuals strive to break stereotypes and create safe and comfortable places for the LGBTQ+ community to get outdoors. Today, we celebrate our favorites!

The Venture Out Project

Vision Statement: The Venture Out Project envisions a world where queer, trans, and LGBTQ+ youth and adults create community, develop leadership skills, and gain confidence through the shared experience of outdoor adventure and physical activity. Founded by Perry Cohen and based out of Massachusetts Venture Out is a non-profit that runs trips for Queer people, led by Queer people. Their trips are open to all ability and skill levels. To learn more about them watch this video by REI or listen to this excellent episode from the Dirtbag Diaries.

Out There Adventures

Out There Adventures, founded by Elyse Rylander (she/her), is a non-profit that believes every youth deserves a space to explore their identity in a positive environment. They partner with California Outward Bound, Northwest Outward Bound and the North West Youth Corps to create programs from LGBT+ teens. Keep up with them on Instagram.

Northwest Outward Bound

Are you looking for a great outdoor experience for a teen? The Northwest Outward Bound School offers wilderness courses for LGBTQ+ teens. 

 

National Outdoor Leadership School

Are you looking for a course for adults? NOLS offers backpacking course in canyonlands for LGBTQ2IA+ adults, 23+. The next course is in the fall of 2020.

 

Queer Nature

Queer Nature was featured in Outfront Magazine in 2019. Pinar and So Sinopoulos-Llyod discuss falling in love in the wilderness and the development of their organization Queer Nature. Outfront Magazine describes Queer Nature:

 

“The queer-run nature education and ancestral skills program based in Boulder is headed by Pinar and So Sinopoulos-Llyod, who started their vision for the organization when they met and fell in love at a wilderness-based mentorship school in Washington State. They are driven by their commitment to teaching about connecting to nature, including survival skills and ancestral skills, specifically to LGBTQ folks and queer people of color.”  Follow Queer Nature on Instagram.

 

Mika Meyer

Have you ever head of Mika Meyer? In 2016 Mika set out on a 3-year road trip to honor his father’s sense of adventure. He lived in a van and visited all 419 U.S National Park Sites in one long journey. Mika also set out to break media stereotypes, to role model that the LGBT community is outdoorsy and knows how to rough it. Check out this video for a preview of his adventure.

 

LGBTQ+ Adventurers in Their Own Words

REI creates a lot of great videos and writes articles that highlight a diverse world of outdoor adventurers. In this article REI,” talked to more than 30 LGBTQ+ adventurers to get a sense of their lives in the great outdoors. We asked each to describe, in their own words, their identity, what the outdoors means to them, and how their identity and outdoor recreation overlaps or clashes. Here’s what they had to say.” Check out this blog post!

 

Wyn Wiley (he/him), aka Pattie Gonia (she/her) 

Pattie Gonia is a self-described backcountry queen. Check out her latest video, Queen of Quarantine, as she tries to make the best of staying home during Quarantine! REI Presents: Dear Mother Nature, starring Pattie Gonia, created this 30 min documentary film where Wyn and Pattie talk about identity, acceptance, plastic and its environmental impact in Hawaii. It is worth a watch on this snowy weekend! For some great indoor quarantine glamping photos follow Pattie on Instagram.

Diversify Outdoors

Are you looking to connect with other organizations or individuals about diversity in the outdoors? Diversify Outdoors is a collection of influencers working to promote equity and access to all individuals in the outdoors. Check out organizations such as Fat Girls Hiking, Brown Folks Fishing, Pride Outside, Brothers of Climbing. Spend some time exploring their resources page that features videos, books, articles, and podcasts about awesome organizations, athletes, and ideas.