These athletes, educators, adventurers, and drag queens are leading the way in claiming space for LGBTQIA+ communities in the conservation movement - a place where they have historically been underrepresented and unwelcome. Celebrate pride all year round by following the voices of these LGBTQIA+ leaders that are creating space for pride outdoors and join the conversation about how the recreation space can be more inclusive and welcoming to everyone.
Pattie Gonia
She/they
Pattie Gonia is a drag queen, environmentalist, community organizer, and co-founder of The Outdoorist Oath, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building a more diverse outdoors and environmental movement that supports our planet, inclusion, and adventure. Over the past three years, Pattie and her community have fundraised over a half-million dollars for LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and environmental nonprofits, completed hundreds of miles of hiking together, and raised awareness for environmental justice. Through her activism, Pattie creates space for the queer community to exist in the outdoors as their authentic selves.
Find Pattie Gonia on Instagram at @pattiegonia
Jenny Bruso
she/they
Jenny Bruso self identifies as a queer, fat, femme adventurer and is the founder of Unlikely Hikers. Unlikely Hikers is an online community, hiking group, and podcast for diverse adventurers who are plus-size & fat, Black, Indigenous, People of Color, queer, trans and non-binary, disabled, neurodivergent, and beyond. Jenny uses her platform to create space and community for all bodies outdoors so no “unlikely hikers” miss their opportunity to have a powerful and meaningful relationship with nature. Together with her growing community, Jenny is changing the narrative about who is getting outdoors.
Find Jenny Bruso on Instagram at @jennybruso
Mercy M'fon
She/her/hers
As a queer African woman, Mercy is often in spaces where she can’t be her full self, but outside, she can. Mercy M’fon believes in the power of having safe, intentional spaces for members of underrepresented groups to form community around the outdoors, so she created one. Mercy is the founder of Wild Diversity, an outdoor organization based in Portland, Oregon that centers BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities in outdoor education and skill-sharing. Together with Wild Diversity, Mercy is working to decolonize outdoor education and create an outdoor space where everyone can be their authentic selves.
Listen to Mercy M’fon’s Ted Talk on Your Style of Outdoor
Erin Parisi
She/her/hers
Erin Parisi is well on her way to becoming the first trans woman to summit the highest peak on each of the seven continents. After transitioning, Erin felt like she gave up a lot of freedom and safety. So she challenged herself to overcome her own fears and others’ discrimination by climbing the Seven Summits and flying the LGBTQIA+ pride flag on the tallest peaks in the world. The challenge is a way for Erin to connect to her own sense of pride in her body, and has also created space and visibility for trans athletes in the outdoor industry. In 2018 Erin launched TransSending 7 to break down stereotypes about trans athletes and support their outdoor dreams.
Find Erin Parisi on Instagram at @erinsends7
Pinar Sinopoulos-Lloyd
they/them
Pinar Sinopoulos-Lloyd is a transgender, Indigenous environmental artist and activist. They are the co-founder of Queer Nature, an organization that provides the LGBTQIA+ community nature education that goes beyond recreation and encourages a deep and thoughtful relationship with the natural world to create an enduring sense of belonging. Pinar’s passion for conservation rooted in diversity extends to their other work as well. They are a founding Council Member of Intersectional Environmentalist, trans ambassador of Native Womens Wilderness, and a founding member of the Diversify Outdoors coalition.
Find Pinar Sinopoulos-Lloyd at @queerquechua
Cover photo by Caleb Uran.
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