Queer Adventure Storytelling happens every second Wednesday featuring stories of the outdoors, traveling and beyond by queer, trans and gender non-conforming speakers. Let's build a NEW outdoors narrative together!
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WE'VE GOT NEWS! We're moving, we're no longer free and we've got a lot to say about it! You're going to want to read this.
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Building community is a central part of this event and it is deeply important to us that all who want to come ar...
Queer Adventure Storytelling happens every second Wednesday featuring stories of the outdoors, traveling and beyond by queer, trans and gender non-conforming speakers. Let's build a NEW outdoors narrative together!
-----------------------
WE'VE GOT NEWS! We're moving, we're no longer free and we've got a lot to say about it! You're going to want to read this.
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Building community is a central part of this event and it is deeply important to us that all who want to come are able to. Our digs at the Lucky Lab, charming as they are, just aren't working with our growth.
QAS will now be held just a mile down the road at In Other Words, where we will have nearly twice the capacity. RAD!
This also means that the event will no longer be free. Capitalism blows and everything costs money. Even free spaces cost something to someone if you think about it. The plus side about holding this at IOW is that the money will go back to our communities, which is even better than throwing a free event.
Door fee is $3-$5 sliding scale. No one turned away. Free for people of color. No questions asked.
The money will be used to cover the cost of the space and remaining funds will be donated to an organization of our choice that encourages people of color and queer folks to get outdoors.
This is now a sober event and we hope to attract sober folks who skip queer events held in bars.
Making this free for people of color sounds kind of bold, but why? We want to make a statement about who we want at our events and incentivize it. We want to be clear that we aren't assuming a white-savior trope of people of color not having money. Access is about so much more than money. It's about information, resources (gear, community and yes, sometimes money, etc) and getting an invitation in the first place. *This* is an invitation. The outdoors, a common theme of our nights, is largely white and lacking diversity efforts which is reflected in who attends QAS. We, the hosts, are actively working on how to greater represent those left out of outdoors narratives in our personal endeavors and at this event. We acknowledge that this statement/effort is flawed. We will not ask anyone questions about their identities and we are so open to critique. If this doesn't work, we are committed to finding a way to do it better. Thank you for working with us on this.
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THAT SAID, let's get on with it!
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In Other Words
Doors 6:30, Event 7pm
$3-$5 sliding scale. No one turned away. Free for people of color. No questions asked. Please consider donating for someone who can't xo
All ages, but no promises stories will be kid-friendly.
Our guests for February 14th are US! Your hosts, Travis Clough, Mercy Shammah, Trevor "Homework" McKee and Jenny Bruso will be presenting! (bios below)
This month's event with benefit Soul River Inc - soulriverinc.org - Soul River brings veterans as mentors and inner city youth together into the wild rivers of nature inspiring youth to become guardians, teachers and role models as an act of service to the outdoors. The hope is to encourage participants to grow and become ambassadors of our natural environment.
Allies are welcome to attend. This space and the bathrooms are wheelchair accessible.
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Are you interested in reading
or presenting at a future event?
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We will need anywhere from 2-4 guests for each event, so shoot us an email with what you may have in mind and a little bit about your background as a queer adventurer. This can be defined as broadly as you like! POC, trans & fat folks to the front! QueerAdventureStorytelling@gmail.com
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Presenter bios!
Mercy Shammah is the Lead Outdoorist at Wild Diversity. Founding Wild Diversity is about creating space for the POC community and queer folks to outdoor in the way that works best for them. Wild Diversity works towards making spaces and outdoor activities safe, comfortable and accessible for our community. www.facebook.com/wilddiversity
Trevor Homework McKee is a Long Distance Hiker, renaissance trans man, and Trail Correspondent for Sounds of the Trail Podcast. He currently represents the Northwest Outward Bound School as a Course Director and Lead Instructor. Find him at www.SoletoSoil.com
Travis Clough is a queer lover of mountains and all things outdoor adventure. Originally from Maine, he now adores exploring the Cascades. He is the Operations Manager & Instructor for the The Venture Out Project - ventureoutproject.com, an LGBTQ+ outdoor organization based out of Portland, OR and Northampton, MA.
Jenny Bruso is a queer, fat, femme, former indoor kid and writer whose life changed after an accidental hike in 2012. Through her blog, jennybruso.com, and instagram community, @UnlikelyHikers, she aims to put a spotlight on diversity, inclusion and representation in the outdoors.