Outdoor recreation and the outdoor community have historically been portrayed as predominantly white, male spaces, in my experience, with little attention given to the contributions of queer recreationalists and outdoor advocates. Here are a few of the many queer environmentalists fighting for representation and access to the outdoors for all.

  • Pattie Gonia (they/he/she) Wyn Wiley is a Nebraska-born drag queen and outdoor recreationist – sometimes both at the same time! What began as one video on a mountaintop in high-heeled boots turned into an Instagram following of 475,000 for Pattie Gonia, Wiley’s outdoor-focused drag persona.
  • Pınar Ateş Sinopoulos-Lloyd (they/them) As a nonbinary QTPOC (Queer & Trans Person of Color) with Turkish, Huanca, and Chinese lineages, Pınar Ateş Sinopoulos-Lloyd found empowerment away from the urban queer culture that often dominates the LGBTQ scene. Instead, they experienced healing in natural spaces, and wanted to share this experience widely.
  • Mercy M’Fon Shammah (they/them) After seeing the strong racial and social class segregation in the wilderness community in the Pacific Northwest, Mercy M’Fon Shammah launched a Go-Fund-Me campaign that would eventually lead to the creation of Wild Diversity. Shammah is the founder and executive director of the Portland, Oregon-based organization that helps Black, Indigenous, all People of Color (BIPOC) & the LGBTQ2S+ communities get outside, create a connection to the outdoors, and feel a sense of belonging.

Read the full article about queer environmentalists by Linnea Harris at EcoWatch.