“Queer individuals, especially those with multiple intersecting marginalized identities, have faced and continue to face varying degrees of trauma born from discrimination, hate crimes, bullying, erasure, exclusion, and systemic socio-economic disadvantages. In this way, the outdoors can be an especially powerful place of healing and empowerment for these communities.”

“I think that far too often the queer community is not represented in nature and can face some barriers to entry. I can also relate to this as a POC. Representation is so important and can be self-affirming, create feelings of belonging and even help alleviate some fears around feelings of acceptance and safety.”

“Safety has always been our biggest concern. Will we get injured? Will we get lost? As we travel further and further from our California Bay Area bubble, our mentality on safety shifted. As queer women of color, we now worry about our social safety.”

“I want to see black people reclaiming the outdoors. I want to see queer folks living their best lives in the sun. I want to see all body shapes tackling strenuous hikes and reaching great heights. I want to see all of us, outside, connecting with nature and falling in love with it all.”

“I think the outdoor industry could provide more role models of stewardship for everyone, particularly LGBTQ+ people. Our public lands need protection, and amplifying all voices is critical. Role models could provide the queer community with inspiration, education, and a way to see themselves as part of the outdoor community protecting the spaces we share.”

“We should all feel safe to share our adventures in nature with those we love.”

Show our faces year round in advertisements. Hire us in your companies. Recruit us to be ambassadors for your labels. Host classes/workshops geared towards diversity year round.

“How often do you see an LGBTQ+ person on the cover of an outdoor magazine? How frequently do QTBIPOC couples get featured on sports websites or in guidebooks? ”

“It’s just hard to think that queer folks are outside enjoying the outdoors when you don’t see anyone that looks like you. Most images you see in hiking publications, Instagram and the like all present a very heterosexual viewpoint and it can be very hard to know if others who are in the outdoors welcome queer people into that experience.”

“We need institutional level change and commitments from outdoor organizations - not just performative, surface level actions. Let’s see organizations hire BIPOC/LGBTQ+ people as editors, executives, board members. Then let’s see them listen, learn and work collaboratively to create new approaches to equity.”