.gay Community Spotlight on The Venture Out Project
Get ready to discover The Venture Out Project, an inspiring outdoorsy nonprofit that aims to provide amazing adventure experiences for LGBTQ+ individuals of all ages. Whether you're a seasoned backpacker or a newbie, they've got you covered.
But that's not all - they're also dedicated to creating a supportive community and developing leadership skills for LGBTQ+ youth and adults. Plus, they offer transgender inclusion workshops for educators and adventure professionals.
Learn more about their mission to make the outdoors a more inclusive place for LGBTQ+ communities in our chat below.
How would you describe your organization’s mission?
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. We also conduct transgender inclusion workshops for educators, adventure professionals, summer camps and more!
Tell us about how that mission is brought to life through your work?
Wilderness adventure doesn't have to be scary, but for many people whose identity is made political by an ever-changing social environment, it tends to feel that way. Through a variety of overnight and day adventures that include anything from beginner backpacking to LGBTQ+ family camps, carpentry workshops, and more, The Venture Out Project (TVOP) embodies that practice that education and meaningful community building leads to an empowered collective that is more capable of instilling long-lasting change in their lives, and in the lives of others.
What would happen if your organization suddenly did not exist?
TVOP is not the only LGBTQ+ outdoorsy nonprofit, but we are one of few, and if organizations like ours did not exist, well -- we'd see a lot of what we've been seeing for the last century when it comes to outdoor representation. Mostly, that would look like straight, cisgender white men on the summit of Mount Everest. That's something very few people see and think "Oh, I can do that!", because our population is so much more diverse. Our mission is to diversify the outdoors, and that's achieved, first and foremost, by showing the world that queer and trans individuals have both the interest AND the ability to adventure safely and comfortably outside.
What can people do to get involved and help make sure that never happens?
If you identify LGBTQ+, come on a trip with us! Help strengthen our growing network of queer and trans outdoorsy folks from across the country - each person who joins us in the woods helps to reshape the narrative of who gets to claim the title of 'outdoorsy'.
If you don't identify as LGBTQ+, helping to uplift the stories of queer and trans people in other ways (by sharing articles, social posts, and podcasts by LGBTQ+ people that touched you) is free, and goes a long way at furthering our mission. And, yes, donations are always lovingly accepted. :)
Why does LGBTQ+ visibility matter to you?
As an only child and a woman, I didn't grow up believing the outdoors was meant for me. I was taught that being outside - especially alone! - was a recipe for disaster. When I was outside, I didn't trust myself OR those around me to be safe, and that fear only continued to build until I made the decision to make a change. Accurate representation made a big difference in my desire to make that change. Seeing LGBTQ+ people recreating safely in community outdoors has empowered me to reimagine myself as someone who sees nature as an extension of by being - not as a force seeking to cause harm.
Anything else you would like to share with the .gay audience?
We just launched registration for our 2023 summer season - that means there are dozens of ways to engage with LGBTQ+ community outdoors that can be found on our website right this second! Trips fill fast, so we encourage anyone interested to sign up as soon as they can. We offer sliding scale pricing and a range of difficulty levels so that you can find the right adventure for you. I hope to see you in the woods real soon!
To learn more go HERE
