45: Pride Month Special: Celebrating Queer Nature with Nova West

Summary

---

LGBTQ Outdoors Podcast

Episode 45: Pride Month Special – Celebrating Queer Nature with Nova West
Released: June 1, 2026
Host(s): Justin Yoder & Patrick Thompson
Guest: Nova West (National Geographic Explorer, visual storyteller)
Additional Segment Guest: Carly (Breck Create, Breck Pride)

---

Episode Overview

This Pride Month special episode explores the intersection of LGBTQIA+ identity and the natural world, featuring returning guest Nova West—a pioneering National Geographic explorer and multimedia storyteller. The hosts and Nova discuss the queer realities of nature, reflect on challenges and joys in the outdoors for queer people, and highlight the significance of authentic representation. Additionally, there’s a featured segment on Breck Pride, spotlighting collaborative Pride events in Breckenridge, Colorado.

---

[00:00–02:58] Pride Month Reflections & Community Connections

Main Points

• Pride Month is a time of both celebration and deep historical significance, described as “our Super Bowl for the year.” (D, 00:58)
• The LGBTQ Outdoors team encourages listeners to connect at Pride events across the US, emphasizing safety, authenticity, and resilience in the face of ongoing challenges.
• Outreach and connection: Listeners are invited to meet their ambassadors at various Pride events and to get involved through their website.

Notable Quotes

• “Pride is so much bigger than parades and parties... it’s about living your authentic self unapologetically the best you can.” — Patrick, 01:09
• “Our community is very resilient and amazing, and I am excited to see what Pride Month holds.” — Justin, 01:55

---

[02:59–16:41] Breck Pride & Partnering for Inclusive Events

Key Insights

• Carly from Breck Create talks about Breck Pride (June 11–13, 2026), showcasing how art, creativity, and outdoor adventure harmonize for inclusive celebrations in Breckenridge.
• Community-driven planning: The first-ever Pride march down Main Street, involvement from the local LGBTQ community, and the integration of art, drag, music, and outdoor activities.
• Emphasis on forging networks with other Colorado Pride organizations to sustain month-long celebrations and deeper community bonds.

Notable Quotes

• “Art is resistance. Art is such a powerful form of expression.” — Carly, 08:42
• “We put together a committee... representative of all facets of the LGBTQ community... to guide those programming decisions, how we incorporate some really important elements that hark back to Pride as protest.” — Carly, 10:53
• “That was a big thing... recommendation is that we incorporate a parade or a march in Breck Pride for the first time.” — Carly, 12:26

Key Events and Timestamps

• Overview of Breckenridge and Pride: 04:31–06:07
• New vision for Breck Pride and art focus: 06:17–08:15
• Pride event schedule and coordination: 09:23–10:26
• Importance of queer visibility and protest history: 13:19–14:14

---

[16:42–24:15] Meet Nova West – Storytelling, Nature & Identity

Nova’s Background

• Nova introduces themselves as a wildlife filmmaker, photographer, artist, and science communicator, specializing in underwater storytelling and deep sea exploration.
• Explains the meaning and process of becoming a National Geographic Explorer—"Just a kid with a wild idea can apply," showing that anyone can be part of this respected network if their vision aligns with NatGeo’s mission.

Notable Quotes

• “My whole way of thinking about storytelling is your medium should be determined by the story… maybe my next chapter is interpretive dance!” — Nova, 19:12
• “If Nat Geo feels like your project is aligned with their mission, they may grant you grant money to go ahead and go do the thing… Once you do that, you’re a Nat Geo explorer for life.” — Nova, 22:08

---

[24:16–34:42] Representing Queerness in Nature & Media

Discussion Points

• Nova’s personal journey: Growing up queer in a Roman Catholic family in Minnesota, seeking belonging in nature, which felt inherently accepting and queer.
• The historical erasure and underreporting of queer animal behavior in science; only about 17% of observed behaviors get documented.
• Nature’s inherent queerness: Over 1,500 species show queer behavior, though that’s just the documented tip of the iceberg.

Notable Quotes

• “You have this whole world telling you who you are and what you have to be, and nature never does that.” — Nova, 33:25 / [also used in the episode opening]
• “If it’s natural, it doesn’t need to be enforced.” — Nova, 33:30

---

[34:43–41:47] The Impact of Queer Nature: Validation & Liberation

Key Themes

• Learning that queerness is natural would have been profoundly validating during the difficult process of coming out.
• Nature, in contrast to societal expectations, is nonjudgmental and fluid, making it a powerful ally and metaphor for queer existence.

Notable Quotes

• “If I understood that concept when I was coming out at 16, I think that would have made a really big difference to me.” — Patrick, 34:42
• “Mother Nature doesn't judge.” — Justin, 35:55
• “If we can pull together queer nature and the queer community... and make them feel like they have a safe place to do it—this is critical.” — Justin, 37:15

---

[41:48–47:30] Real Examples of Queer Nature

Main Points

• Nova describes their TV pilot “Out in the Wild,” where they explore species such as the California sheephead (a fish with the ability to change sex from female to male when ecologically necessary).
• "Queerness" in nature covers sex, gender, expression, intersex traits, asexual reproduction, and non-traditional family structures.
• Queerness in nature isn’t the exception; statistically, heteronormative behavior is the minority when all natural diversity is considered.

Notable Quotes

• “The term ‘queerness’ in a scientific sense is almost an othering, when honestly, it should be the standard…” — Nova, 44:43
• “If you close your eyes and throw a rock, whatever you hit probably has a queer behavior.” — Nova, 45:41
• “It's really hard to find a truly cis-straight thing in nature because nature doesn't have any boxes.” — Nova, 46:18

---

[47:31–55:45] Storytelling Challenges in the Wild

Main Points

• The unpredictability of wildlife: Stories from the field underscore the patience and mindfulness required to shoot authentic wildlife content (e.g., waiting days to film sea turtles nesting in Costa Rica).
• The unique energy and connection between queer crew members impacts both the process and outcome of making wildlife films.

Notable Quotes

• “You can’t send wildlife the call sheet... they can’t read!” — Nova, 49:12
• “Nature rewards you for being a good, kind person.” — Nova, 51:09
• “Some of the most beautiful moments I’ve ever had filming in nature have been with other queer people.” — Nova, 51:48

---

[55:46–61:32] Nova’s Current & Future Projects

Project Highlights

• Out in the Wild pilot is available on YouTube and Instagram (@outinthewild_show).
• Nova is illustrating for a new documentary and working on “Deep is Our Roots”—a film on the Brave Trails queer youth leadership camp and queer resilience through food/agriculture.

Notable Quotes

• “All the content that we have is just like nothing I’ve ever seen on screen before, which is how you know you’re going in the right direction.” — Nova, 60:21

---

[61:33–68:10] Pride Messages & Episode Wrap

Closing Thoughts

• Nova encourages every queer person to recognize that “your voice matters,” especially if you don’t see yourself represented—representation is both a challenge and an invitation.
• Patrick and Justin stress the importance of taking up space, celebrating, and reminding listeners: “You are wanted and you are loved.” They also acknowledge queer individuals in isolated or unsupportive places.
• Nova can be found at novawestcreative.com and on Instagram (@NovAwesome).
• Listeners are encouraged to reach out, connect, and get involved.

Notable Quotes

• “Surprise. It’s everything that you are… your voice matters. If you don’t see yourself represented, that is an invitation for you to show people that there are different ways to exist.” — Nova, 62:02
• “Somebody that you don’t know needs to hear your story… be authentic, be bold, you deserve to be here.” — Patrick, 63:44
• “If you don’t feel like you are wanted or loved, come join us. You will be wanted and loved here just as you are.” — Justin, 65:52

---

Where to Find More

• Out in the Wild Pilot: [YouTube link via @outinthewild_show]
• Nova West: novawestcreative.com | @NovAwesome on Instagram
• Breck Create & Pride info: breckcreate.org
• LGBTQ Outdoors: lgbtqoutdoors.com

---

Notable Moments by Timestamp

• 00:00 – Nova’s mantra: “If it’s natural, it doesn’t need to be enforced.”
• 10:53 – Inclusive planning behind Breck Pride
• 24:15 – Nova explains National Geographic Explorer program
• 33:25 – “Nature never judges.”
• 41:47 – The diversity of queerness in the animal kingdom
• 51:09 – “Nature rewards you for being a good, kind person.”
• 62:02 – “Your voice matters.”
• 63:44 – “Somebody you don’t know needs to hear your story.”
• 65:52 – “You are wanted and you are loved.”

---

Tone: Deeply affirming, inclusive, celebratory, insightful, and conversational, with a focus on visibility, joy, and genuine storytelling.

---

Summary prepared for listeners seeking the heart and substance of Episode 45, skipping all non-content elements and keeping to the speakers’ authentic voices.

Transcript

[A]

You have this whole world telling you who you are and what you have to be, and nature never does that. And something that I repeat to myself often that I heard someone else say is that if it's natural, it doesn't need to be enforced. So going, you know, going outside, I'm like, yeah, nature isn't forcing me to be anything. You know, I'm still who I am. It's human beings. I like to force people to be things.

[B]

Every trail has a story. And when LGBTQ people gather in the outdoors, those stories become community, adventure, and belonging. I'm Justin Yoder, and this is the LGBTQ Outdoors podcast.

[C]

Happy Pride Month, everyone, and welcome back

[B]

to another episode of the LGBTQ Outdoors Podcast.

[C]

I'm Justin Yoder.

[D]

And I'm Patrick Thompson. Happy Pride, everybody.

[C]

We're so excited to be celebrating Pride Month. It's kind of like our super bowl for the year.

[D]

It is, it is, it is. And it's a great time of year. Yes, it's summer and, like, all the fun summer things we get to do, but Pride is, at least for me, so much bigger than parades and parties and all of that stuff. Like, there's a depth to it and there's a history to it. And in past episodes, we have talked about the history of Pride Month, but it's a big deal. I hope that y' all are able to go out and connect with your community, be safe, but also get reinspired to kind of live your authentic self unapologetically the best you can. Unfortunately, that's not always a possibility, and we get that and we recognize that, and we're thinking about y', all, for sure.

[C]

Yeah, definitely. I hope our community just has an incredible month. Obviously, there's a lot of challenges that's going on. We always seem to be facing challenges, sometimes more than others, but our community is very resilient and amazing, and I am excited to see what Pride Month holds. And we're going to be doing Pride events all across the US and trying to get more people connected to us. So definitely look and see on our website if there is a event coming up in your area and get outside with our community and help celebrate Pride this year with getting outdoors.

[D]

And if you happen to be at a Pride celebration and you happen to see our table there or a banner or something with our really cool LGBTQ outdoors logo, and one of our ambassadors, maybe go up and talk to them, say hi, see how you can get connected and start your own adventure in Pride Month, which would be perfect.

[C]

Definitely, definitely. We actually started in Pride Month in June 2019. So, coming a long ways, we have two guests on our podcast today to kick off Pride Month. One of them is a returning guest and might be our first returning guest, I think.

[D]

So.

[C]

That's Nova west, and they are just an incredible human being that loves nature, is actually a National Geographic explorer and just huge, cool, cool person. So we're really excited to talk to them in a little bit. But first, you're going to kick things off with a conversation that you're having about pride and Breck Pride specifically.

[D]

Yeah. Here in a second, we're going to talk with Carly about our partnership, all the awesome things that they're doing up in Colorado. Breck, short for Breckenridge, for those of you who aren't familiar with the lingo. So we're here with Carly, with Brett Create. They are the organization that puts on the Brett Pride event, and we're here to talk about our partnership and hopefully get y' all to go out and check out Breckenridge, Colorado. So I think a lot of people would just assume Breckenridge, Colorado, you know, before I got to go like it. It's. It's a ski town. It's a winter thing, and it's cool, but I know for sure that it is so much more.

[E]

Yeah. Oh, yeah. I mean, it is. You know, it's your typical mountain town. It's got really charming vibes with this historic downtown, lots of historic buildings on Main street, and yes, of course, it is very well known as a ski town. But honestly, summer is my favorite time in Breckenridge. That's when the wildflowers bloom. That's when hiking and biking season at. At their peak, and it's. The mountains turn from white to green, and it's just. Yeah, it's beautiful here in the summers, and you can't beat the weather if you're trying to escape the heat. Breckenridge is a good place to do it. Oh, nice sunshine.

[D]

That's always a good draw. And y' all have a massive collection of aspens, right? Like in your area?

[E]

Yeah, lots of aspens. So fall's a great time to be here, too.

[A]

Yes.

[E]

Yeah, it's pretty epic with the yellows and the oranges in September and October,

[D]

we happened to be able to get there at that time, and it is unlike anything I've seen before. Is really gorgeous.

[E]

Yeah. It. All in all, Breckenridge is just. It's a beautiful town. It's such a great setting for. For big events like Breck Pride and a great, great place for people to come visit, but those of us locals that live here, too, we feel like it's a pretty special place as well. So, yeah, we're excited to welcome a lot more people to town here in a few weeks.

[D]

Yes. Breck Pride it is right around the corner. Tell me, do you know how long y' all have been doing that?

[E]

Yes. So this is the first year that Breck Create is actually putting on Breck Pride. So Breck Pride is an event that we've had here in Breckenridge. I think the first year was 2017, and there was some, you know, I think a year or two when we didn't do it during COVID but it's. Yeah, it's been an important community celebration for the town. What's been interesting about it, there were years that the town of Breckenridge produced it. Then there were years that the Breckenridge tourism office produced it, and then this is the first year that Breck Create will be doing it. So, Brett, Create, we are a nonprofit arts organization, and we exist to provide creative experiences for all who live, work, and play in Breckenridge. And this really. This Breck Pride event really falls into that, because we know Breck Pride celebrations are often filled with creativity and artists and performers, and that's what we do really well is just working with that creative community to develop a really unique and meaningful event. And so that's one of the reasons that Breck Create is doing this year. And also, we're so connected to the local community and have a really great. Very connected to the LGBTQ community. And so it just made a lot of sense for Breck Pride to find a home with us. And this year will be unique, of course, in that we're bringing a lot of music and drag performers and big art, outdoor art installations, in addition to some. Some ways for people to experience our beautiful outdoors, too. Of course, with LGBTQ outdoors, with bike rides and hikes and outdoor workout classes, you name it, we've got lots of fun stuff for people to. To participate in, from art to outdoors.

[D]

That sounds amazing. And I love leaning into the art aspect of Pride. There's so much that can be said Pride out of maybe frustration or pain, but also out of, like, joy in life. That's a uniquely kind of queer angle that. So when that gets to sort of show up in an artist's creation is really neat.

[E]

Yeah. I mean, art is resistance. Art is such a powerful form of expression that. That I think it's yeah, it's a really great way to showcase and for people to be able to express themselves. And there are so many amazing queer artists in Colorado and performers and DJs. And so we're thrilled to be able to connect with them and bring their amazing art here, here to Breck.

[D]

Ah, that sounds amazing. I kind of want to go.

[E]

It's June 11th through the 13th, but the really big. The big day is Friday, June 12th. So this year we tried to align. There's actually an amazing collection of Pride events happening here in the mountain region. And so this year we worked really hard to align with those other Pride celebrations to ensure we weren't doing it at the same time.

[D]

Love it.

[E]

So we have a great partner, Mountain Pride, and they do their big Pride in the park in Avon, Colorado on that Saturday. So if people come here, they can check out BREC's events and festivities on Thursday and Friday and then do the. I think it's like a 35 minute drive to Avon for Pride in the Park. There are other towns like Leadville that does a Pride. I think it's the weekend prior to ours. And then, of course, Denver does theirs the last weekend of June. So really trying to make sure if you want to hit up a Pride celebration every weekend in Colorado, you can do it and you don't have to miss out.

[D]

I love it on so many levels. I mean, because, yeah, Pride is a whole month long thing, so getting to celebrate that the entire time is pretty great. But you're just, in doing that, you are creating community between the Pride organizations, which is already a community in itself, obviously. So even creating that bigger network is. That's really, really cool. That's neat.

[E]

Yeah. Yeah. That's been a really important part of this planning for us is just making sure that we're involving all of the voices. We put together a committee of people that are representative of all facets of the LGBTQ community that live and work in Breckenridge in Summit county to really help us guide those programming decisions, how we incorporate some really important elements of the event that hearken back to Pride as a protest. So that's been great. Just to be able to meet more of that community and to bring people together to help us plan this has been amazing. One of the people on that committee, his name is Mitch Rinquist and he owns a historic lodge in Breckenridge. It's one of the. I think it's. I don't know the exact name of it, but it's the only queer lodge in Breckenridge. And it was marked as a historic landmark last year during Pride. So he's just got some amazing perspective and stories and really helping us think about this Pride in some really thoughtful ways. And he's got, actually, that weekend, a group of motorcyclists from a queer motorcycle group staying at his lodge that will be leading our Pride march. So really excited about that. That was a big thing that this group, this. This committee did. Their. Their big, I guess, request or suggestion recommendation is that we incorporate a parade or a march in Breck Pride for. For the first time. We've never had that as part of our celebration, but. But know that it is such a huge part of a lot of Pride celebration. So we were able to partner with the town on making that happen on shutting down half of Main street so that we can have a really great group of people coming with signs and decorating bikes and wagons, and there's gonna be music and drag performers and motorcyclists leading the pack. And so that's a big element of the. Is that Pride March right down Main Street.

[D]

Amazing. I respect and appreciate how thoughtful all this has been, and that, like, it does go deeper than. Yes, let's celebrate. Let's, you know, party. Yay, Pride Month. But there is this historical weight behind it of being a protest, so I respect that y' all are looking at that angle.

[E]

Yeah, well, and especially right now when there are so many, you know, so many attacks against the queer community, and to be able to have that really powerful moment where people can feel very visible and express themselves right on Main street of Breckenridge, this iconic town in the mountain region of Colorado. Like, I think it'll just be a really big, poignant moment throughout the weekend for us.

[D]

I love it. So you'll have a website. Is there a place where we can send people to find out some more information?

[E]

Yes. Brettcreate.org that's where we've got all of the full schedule of Pride events. It's a lot. So across those three days, never a dull moment throughout the weekend. So definitely go check out the full schedule. We're doing Rocky Horror Picture show with a shadow cast. We've got some fun. Yeah, I mentioned some other. Some music, some DJs and some games, all sorts of things. Some film screenings on Saturday. So, yeah, you can check all of that out. You've got it all dot org.

[D]

Yeah, I love it. LGBTQ Outdoors will be at the vendor fair the afternoon of June 12th. So if you're checking out beautiful Breckenridge be sure to stop by and say hi to our team there. See how you can get connected. We also have a morning hike that morning that we're hosting June 12, and a Pride bike ride on June 13 as well. You can find out more information on our website. Um, but we are incredibly glad and happy to partner with you guys to kind of cross promote, and hopefully we can get some people to you and you can get some people to us, and we can really have a great Pride.

[E]

Yeah, I think the partnership makes so much sense. I'm so glad that you all are a part of it this year. And the hike you are going on one of my very favorite trails in Breckenridge, the Peaks Trail. It's. It's unlike a lot of the other trails here. It's kind of through the woods, sort of a damp, foresty hike along a trail during part of it with massive tree roots. But then you open up into this beautiful field. Like, it's one of my favorites. So it was a good, good pick.

[D]

I love it. I love it. Great. Well, Carly, thank you so much for hanging out this afternoon. And y' all go have fun. Thank you for what you're doing. And Happy Pride.

[E]

Yeah, thanks. Happy Pride to you.

[C]

Let's jump in with today's guest. Nova west is a visual storyteller, National Geographic explorer and creative, working across cinematography, photography, directing, editing, and science communication. They created a pilot for a TV series exploring queerness in nature and have contributed to projects for National Geographic, Discovery Plus, Netflix, Disney, PBS at the Smithsonian Channel, Oprah Winfrey Network, and more. With experiences ranging from underwater and aerial cinematography to expedition and backcountry storytelling, Nova brings curiosity, creativity, and unique perspective to every project. Nova, thank you for joining us again. It's been a minute since you were on last time.

[A]

Yeah, thank you so much for having me. I was thinking about it earlier is like, I think it's been like, since 20. Was it 20, 24 that we did our last episode or something like that? So it's been a minute.

[D]

Are you our first repeat guest?

[A]

I feel like I should get a stick.

[C]

You might be awesome. Welcome back.

[A]

Right, thank you. Not only that, enough stories to tell that we got to bring them back. I guess that's awesome.

[C]

Not only that. So return first return guest today. And today is Pride as well, kicking off Pride Month, so that's super exciting as well. So I'm really excited to be able to talk with you and get this episode out to all of our listeners. It's going to be a great time. And we're living obviously in challenging times, but Pride is a great time to kind of reflect on our community. And I thought also, like, what a better time to talk about queer nature. So you were the first one that came to mind when I was like, this is what I kind of want our topic to be. So I'm glad you're here.

[A]

That's perfect. I honestly, I can talk about queer nature all day, every day, so I'm so glad you reached out.

[C]

Love it. For those that aren't familiar with you, let's just take it way back and share who you are.

[A]

There's so many things I feel like the further I've gotten in my career, the harder it is to distill who I am and what I do, which is.

[C]

I mean, you've done quite a bit. You've done quite a bit, which I.

[A]

I feel like that's the opposite for most people. Like, most people are like, I don't know what I want to do when I'm young. And then they, like, kind of figure it out as they get older. I get more confused.

[C]

You know, you've done it all and now you're just like, what do I do as I get older? Right.

[A]

Well, it's like the. The more that I see the world, the more I'm like, there's endless possibility for who you can be. Like, why just pick one thing? You know, we. We gotta live life to the fullest here. So I'll try and give you like a distilled version. But hey, everybody, I'm Nova. Use they. Them pronouns. And I am a wildlife filmmaker and photographer specializing in underwater cinematography. I am also like an artist and illustrator. I basically, my whole way of thinking about storytelling is your medium should be determined by the story. So if the story calls for painting or for photography or interpretive dance, whatever. I mean, I don't dance, but, you know, whatever it is, you could. You could, right? Like, there's still time. I have life left to live. So we. That might be my next CHA chapter. Just watch. But yeah, that's. That's kind of what's led me into all of these different buckets of trying different things. And I found that ultimately that's the best way to reach different audiences that have never been reached by traditional mediums. So I also do a lot of deep sea exploration work. So I'm a video engineer, expedition documentarian, and a science communication lead on deep sea exploration vessels. And basically what that means is I do all the video stuff with giant deep sea submersibles And I broadcast the video feeds that come from those submersible submersibles to audiences across the globe for educational content so that people can learn about the deep sea and why it's something that we need to protect.

[D]

So cool.

[C]

I just want to be your assistant. Like, just follow you around.

[A]

Honestly, that's a. I, I do actually have a mentorship program that I started two years ago that is, you know, not deep sea because that's a really hard space to bring people into. As, as you can imagine, ship space is limited. But I do have a program specifically for queer people who want to learn underwater storytelling. And basically for a year, I will teach them whatever they want to know. So if you want to learn illustration, I got you. If you want to learn documentary filmmaking, I got you. Like, whatever it is, if I know it is kind of challenged by choice.

[D]

Nice.

[C]

Yeah, I would be so down for that, especially in my younger years. I think you're living the life that I thought I was going to when I was younger, but not that I am complaining about mine. It's pretty great getting to do what I'm doing. But how amazing. I love how, you know, we kind of just casually drop in there that you're a National Geographic explorer.

[D]

No big deal.

[C]

No big deal at all. Right there.

[A]

Just casually. It's, it's great.

[C]

Just casually. Can you share for those that aren't familiar with that, what that means? Exactly?

[A]

Yeah, absolutely. So a Nat Geo explorer is basically a fun way to say this person has had their work supported by National Geographic in the past or is currently supported. And anybody can become a natural explorer, which is great. Little me, I'm not a scientist. I've done a lot of cool things, but I'm just kind of fumbling through and finding things as they find me and doing them with a big yes. And in classic theater terms, so anybody can apply. And if you have this really cool, wild idea, whether it's a scientific project or some sort of storytelling proposal or even a solution to a climate issue, if Nat Geo feels like your project is aligned with their mission, they may grant you grant money to go ahead and go do the thing. And then once you do that, you are a Nat Geo explorer for life. So you're like become part of this group of people who have been funded by Nat Geo and you have like further opportunities to get more funding for further projects. And you're also like, you're, you're put into this network of professionals who are of a very high caliber. So if I wanted to Make a film about hyenas. Like, I know the person to call to, like, you know, go make a film about hyenas. There's. There's just like an incredible network, especially of queer people within the Nat Geospheres that are doing cool things. So on top of that, like, every year we get invited to different festivals that Nat Geo puts on. So they have a storytelling summit and then they have an explorer festival, which is coming up June, sometime in June, second week of June, I believe, in dc. And this year they're revealing the new Nat Geo Explorer Museum, which I get to be a part of. So I'm like, in one of their films in the museum, I'm like, wow, Little Minnesota Bee is in the Nat Geo Museum. So there's a lot of perks to becoming a nacho explorer. And it all started just with this seed of an idea.

[D]

So with all of that and your deep work in, like, media and wildlife and exploration, at what point did you realize that representation in wildlife media mattered and that it has an impact?

[A]

Yeah, honestly, if I really am honest with myself about it, I think the second I watched my first nature documentary when I was a kid, you know, or like, the second I first heard someone tell me about nature, and I was like. Like, deep down in my gut, I was like, that doesn't feel right, though. I don't think that's actually correct. Like, I've. I've had a very strong sense of justice from a young age. And so, like, especially as someone who was raised female, I was constantly being told, like, I am less than and I am not as smart as the boys and I can't do certain things. And the whole, like, every time someone would say that to me, I'd be like, that's bullshit. What do you mean? Like, I'm just as capable, if not more capable, but, like. And people would use the excuse of, well, it's just what's natural. That's just nature. And so I. I think, like, misogyny, unfortunately, from a lived experience, really made me question what we deem as natural in wildlife storytelling spaces. Because, like, those are the people that are really setting the tone for societally what we think about nature. And, you know, they shape our perspective. So I don't know if I really was able to put it into words and contextualize that understanding until I got into filmmaking. I had my first job with nat Geo in 2017. I wasn't close enough to the industry to understand how much power people had in the filmmaking space, but there was something deep down inside of me that was like, this is not right. This just can't be true. So the, the, the short answer is, like, since forever, but also since 2017.

[C]

Love that. And back it up a little bit further because you talked about growing up in Minnesota. When did you first realize that you had the passion for the outdoors and nature to begin with?

[A]

It's, it's funny because I think also, like, ever since the beginning for me, my. So I, I have a brother and a sister, and I am incredibly close with my brother. Uh, he is also trans. So, like, we understand each other to a very deep level. Um, and he always wanted to, like, stay inside and draw. He's. He's that side of the coin. And I got the opposite side, where I was like, I just want to be outside all the time. Like, if I'm not holding 12 frogs at any time, what am I doing? You know, life is not full, right? So, like, you know, you could see it early on that I wanted to build a little house out of sticks and live in that instead of our, like, gorgeous Minnesota home. And that just kind of spiraled into, like, when I got to high school and into college, like, I was definitely gravitating towards being outside. And that for me was also like a safe space. So I grew up in a Roman Catholic household, and being queer was not okay. And the only thing that I didn't feel judged by was nature itself, because I knew that nature was queer. Like, deep down, I was like, you and I are the same. It's just everyone else that's telling me that we're wrong. And so that, that drive, that feeling of, like, I feel accepted here in the woods more than any church or anywhere else I've ever been. That drive to protect that sacred space and in a way protect that piece of myself kind of led me to an outdoor education space, which led me to wildlife filmmaking.

[C]

That makes sense. And it makes sense too. Like that why you are wanting to bridge the gap that there is right now between queerness and nature. Right now, the representation and showing people how queer nature really is. We know that there's over, like, I believe 1500 species that are queer or have. Can have queer tendencies even in, in nature. Can you tell us a little bit more about that? Like, studies that have gone on to that, because this to a lot of people as brand new information. Obviously it's been studied for a little bit. If we know that there's over 1500 species. But share a little bit about that with us.

[A]

Yeah, absolutely. And I'll I'll preface with I am no scientist, but I do talk with and work with law scientists who have helped me digest this information because admittedly, research papers are not the most accessible to non, non science trained human beings. But Basically, back in 2024, there was a groundbreaking study that came out that revealed that there was way more queer behaviors and traits in nature that wasn't being documented. And that study basically looked at like how many scientists were observing, one, observing queer behaviors and traits, and two, how many of them were actually reporting them. Three, like how many papers were actually developed from that, that data. And it, I, I believe the study said something about like only 17% of the people that actually observed the queer behaviors and documented them went on to like create papers and other sort of studies about those behaviors. So there's such a huge subset of people because, you know, obviously science is as objective of a tool as we try to make it, but it's still done by people, right? And we all have our biases and we try to remove that from science. But there's, you know, over 50% of scientists were not even like documenting the queer behaviors that they were seeing, which is a huge problem because if you don't have the scientific data, it's really hard to be like, no, this is legitimate and like, this is a real thing and we need to study it more. Like, you kind of need that seed to get people to understand like, oh, we should put more funding towards learning about this because it's important. So as, as you said, There are over 1500 species of animals that exhibit queer behaviors and traits. And that is just the tip of the iceberg. It's so important to know that we're just beginning to document this. So just because it's, you know, we say it's 1500 species doesn't mean that is there's a period at the end of that. It's more like a semicolon. That is what we know to date because we just started looking. If you think about how far back science goes, there have been people who have been documenting these things, but oftentimes their research gets erased. So a good example is like the lesbian seagulls on Anacapa. I have a friend who made a film about how in the 70s there was like documentation that there were lesbian seagull mating behaviors, part of, in a response to DDT and how that made breeding more difficult for them. But these scientists like published the paper and they were forced to take that back and say, actually, nevermind, jk, that's, that's not real. There's like huge pushback because people just don't want to accept that, like, there's legitimate science about how nature does not fit in our boxes. So that's kind of the TLDR of it. There's so much more to it.

[D]

So do you think it's a cultural thing? Like, no, like, we can't have any queer stuff or is it just from a scientific perspective? Say they're studying, like, the migration patterns or whatever. Like, so the queer behavior, it's just not on their radar. Like, that's not what they're studying at that point. So I'm curious if it's just a thought of that's not important or we need to keep this quiet.

[A]

Everything I know about scientists is that they are curious people who, if they notice something funky, they want to know what it is and why it's doing that. Right? And on top of that, now we have the very hairy reality of like, what is AI too? That just, like, further complicates things with, like, you're seeing social media, you're only seeing oftentimes the highlights or the extreme lows of what is reality. And then on top of that, we have, like, right before this, this call, I was watching a video on, on Instagram that was like, of these penguins. And like, this researcher freed the penguin from like one of those pop can plastic holder things. And then like, the penguins brought her fish. And at the end, someone was like, that was AI. I was like, oh, my God. I didn't even, I didn't even clock it. I'm usually pretty good about that. Like, I was like, this is weird behavior, but maybe we don't know everything about penguins. You know, it's just getting more messy.

[C]

It is very messy for sure. What is it like for you as a queer person, and especially a queer person that loves the outdoors, to see yourself reflected in nature?

[A]

Oh, my gosh. It's like a coming home, you know? Like you, you have this whole world telling you who you are and what you have to be, and nature never does that. And something that I, I repeat to myself often that I heard someone else say is that if it's natural, it doesn't need to be enforced. So going, you know, going outside, I'm like, yeah, nature isn't forcing me to be anything. You know, I'm still who I am. It's human beings that like to force people to be things. So I think the more that we see ourselves in media, the more that I feel like we're actually Getting closer to reality, which is a direct opposition to the social media conversation and other ways that wildlife filmmaking is almost like Hollywood eyes. You know, things are sensationalized so that we get the viewership and things like that. And yeah, the closer we get to the truth and talking about how queerness is in nature, the closer that will actually get to liberating queer people because people actually be able to see, like, oh, yeah, it's not actually black and white because we just simply cannot put nature in a box, no matter how hard we try.

[D]

And the knowledge that. And we're going to get more into this in kind of like the nuts and bolts, so to speak, of, like, what it queer in nature means. But if I understood that concept or somebody shared that with me when I was coming out at 16, I think that would have made a really, really big difference to me. Just the. There's zero societal pressure. Like, there's nothing else that's touching it. We're just looking at nature and what happens in this uncharted territory where nature is free to be nature and queer animals, queer nature exists. And big picture, I am part of nature as well.

[A]

Newsflash. Yeah, we're all part of nature. I love that.

[D]

Yeah, it's a validation of the very essential, core part of it, of human beings are natural beings. Yeah, that would have. That would have hit me really, really hard in a good way. When I was coming out, we, we

[C]

had a guest on once that said, how was it they put it? Mother Nature don't care or Mother Nature doesn't judge. And I like, I love that. And it stuck with me because it's like, it's so true. Because sometimes we've had people tell us, you know, why does your organization need to exist? You know, the squirrels don't care that you're gay, you know, type of a thing. And it's like, oh, we are so far from getting the point of all of this. But it's like, if we can pull together, like queer nature and, you know, the queer community. Because there's. There's two kind of two extremes with the queer community that I've kind of noticed. Like, the ones that are just very like, I don't want to go outside, it's dirty, there's bugs, there's all of that. There's a frog, you know, like you love. And then you got the other ones that are like, I feel at home and peace in nature and grew up. And it's like, I would love everybody to be able to have that experience. And so like, if we can pull these things all together and let people know, like, how queer nature is as well as there's a space for you there and let them experience. You know, I don't think people are not going outside because they hate fresh air or a beautiful sunrise or watching, you know, elk in a meadow or something like that. You know, like, they experience that, they most likely would want to experience it again. But it's trying to figure out how to bridge all these together and also make them feel like they have a safe place to be able to do it. So I love what you're doing. Like, this is critical to also the work that we're doing to make connections and bridges for the outdoors to be a more safe and welcoming space for everyone.

[A]

And it truly takes all of us, every different skill set, every different access to different groups and things like that. It takes all of us to be able to make this world less hostile towards queer people. And that comes at different angles from, like, making the out outdoors more accessible so that, you know, people can see elk in the steamy morning with, like, their breath and stuff, you know, like the beautiful imagery. And also, so we have rights and like, so that people quit using the nature isn't queer. Like, queerness isn't natural argument. You know, like, there's just so many, so many different facets and we need all of us to be able to tackle them.

[D]

And like, one of the things I like about it is that this is like hard empirical evidence. This is fact. There's no just other cultural pressure being put on it. This is a thing that you can argue if you want, like, what it means, but you cannot argue whether or not it exists, whether it happens.

[A]

And like, I don't know, queer people have been saying for centuries, like, we, we are natural. This is just how we are. Like, we don't choose to exist the way that we do, but we do choose to love ourselves and to accept ourselves. But. And the response to that has always been, no, it's not. It's not natural. Even though we say our lived experience is natural. So there, I think there's always going to be this weird, like, cognitive disson between the group of people that is set on oppressing other people and those people just at heart, have a colonist mindset. You know, it's like, I, I think there are different groups of people to cater to. All of my work is aimed back at the queer community. I am not trying to convince the. The world of people who don't think I'm a legitimate Non binary person. I'm not trying to cater to them. Why does my world have to center around them? I'm, I'm here to talk back to the queer community and be like, no, you are valid. Even if I didn't make these, these films and do all this work, you're still valid. But I want you to feel validated by this information as well, because you were right all along, obviously. But, like, this is for you, not for them, you know, and again, it just takes so many different angles and viewpoints to really tackle that big issue.

[C]

I would love for us to also, like, talk about some of the wildlife that is in queer. That there's queer tendencies in nature, because we keep, we're talking about that and we've mentioned that there's 1500 species, but like, I think there's a lot that could be surprising to people. And it's funny because I was thinking about this earlier this week, like, if I've ever saw queerness in nature. And I'm sure that I have as much as I've been outdoors. But, like, I think my earliest experience would be when I was a very young kid back in like late 80s, early 90s, like watching a TV show, probably Nat Geo or something, and with bonobos. And it was funny that the way, because I, I was thinking about all this because in the show they were like, this is a dominant thing as the way that they presented it. And like, thinking back on it, I was like, there wasn't much fighting or arguing. Like, they both seem to be kind of enjoying this. And so it kind of puts that spin on it you were talking about earlier, especially back then. But what are some of the, the animals or wildlife in general that have really surprised you, maybe that are maybe common that we see all the time, maybe, and never even really knew about?

[A]

I mean, there are so many.

[C]

Like, you're like, which ones don't.

[A]

No, I know. No, exactly, though. Exactly. So I'm going to talk a little bit about my explorer project, which directly relates to this, to answer your question. For my explorer project, I made a pilot for a TV show called out in the Wild. And it's basically your classic, like, adventure wildlife show where we have a host, Angel Morris, who bops around and like, talks with scientists and really figures out, like, okay, what are the queer behaviors? And like, are they being studied? What do they mean for the survival of the species? And then we like go and actually in person go look at the critters in question. So the pilot episode, we go to Anacapa island, which is part of the Channel Islands off the coast of California. And we take a look at the California sheephead, which is like this funky looking little wrasse. Like imagine this big old fish with like a big forehead and buck teeth. It has like human looking teeth that like they use to chew through sea urchins and stuff. And their superpower is they can change sex from female to male. However, it only happens when it is like socially and ecologically necessary. So it's a transformation that is triggered by ecological need for the health of the group. And it basically is like the biggest female, when the male dies, will over a period of I believe two weeks, transform into a male. So it doesn't even take very long, which is wild. And so in order to make this episode we had to do so much like distilling of what is queerness in nature. How do we define that? Because really the like queerness, I feel like it like that term almost in a scientific sense is almost an othering where I think it should honestly be the standard, that should be the base, the basis of all science that we're like the context that we're looking at it from. Because statistically straightness and cisness combined. So having cishet nature is such a small sliver of that pie, that queerness really, especially with further research, can make up the bulk of the whole song. We kind of distilled it down into a few different categories of like, this is how we could define queerness in nature. One is like sex and sex behavior, which I feel like is what everybody assumes, that is where queerness ends. Like that is the only thing that is queer. And that's part of why we made the show, is to push back on that notion of like queerness is only, you know, who you're sleeping with or like who you're mating with or things like that. When in reality queerness is also expression. So we have primary sex characteristics, we have second secondary sex characteristics. We also have like intersex conditions and identities within nature as well. We have a lot of like sex transitions. So the Sheepheads is great example. There's so many different plants that have both male and female parts for reproduction. They can reproduce asexually or sexually depending on like the other plants around them. Like there's just like infinite possibilities. Another thing we looked at is family structures. So a good example is grizzly bears here in the US sometimes will have female, female pairs and they will raise their cubs together. And I feel like human beings like to put like emotional attraction onto animals. So we see this a lot in like the straight storytelling of wildlife of like, oh my God, they're mated for life. And that does happen. However, you can't always assume that's for every critter. So whether or not these grizzly bears are together for survival or because they're actually a mated pair, who is to say? We need more research. Right? But the fact that there still are lesbian pairings for grizzly bears, they. We have them for seagulls. Like if just, I don't know, close your eyes and throw a rock and whatever it hits, it probably has a queer behavior. So the long answer is yeah, there's. There's just so much that it's hard to. Really hard to find a truly like CIS straight thing in nature because nature doesn't have any boxes.

[C]

That's amazing.

[D]

I love that we could end the episode there.

[A]

Like done. No more.

[D]

Just like really, really, like, like wrapped it up very well.

[C]

Like I feel like we might need a naked T shirt on that says that nature doesn't have any boxes. That'd be cool. I would love that.

[D]

Honestly, like, I do remember and it's been several years and because it was on the news like this was newsworthy, is that there was a same sex penguin pairing at some zoo that like became besties and just exhibited the sort of relational behaviors. And that's really, I feel like mostly the hard examples of what I've been aware of. And again, like for some reason that that was newsworthy. Which, which is cool. Good. Yay. But also like, what about all these other examples?

[A]

Literally, like, I know penguins are like cute and charismatic and everyone loves the penguins and I don't bl. But yeah, there's like lions are queer. You know, dolphins are queer. You know, there's like so many different critters that we could also be looking at that do the same or similar stuff.

[D]

You know, I would have guessed that dolphins are queer.

[A]

They're funky, they're weird little guys.

[C]

That's hilarious. Like, you have had so many adventures in your, in your life. I would love to know about maybe some of the bigger challenges you've had with specific shots that you were needing

[A]

or

[C]

maybe dangerous situations that you've even been in because like you've, you've done so much. Like, I can only imagine, like I, I want to take you and just go like on a five day trip and learn all about your adventures really. But oh my gosh.

[A]

Show you around.

[C]

We need to get you to come to. We need to get you to come to LGBTQ Outdoor Fest. One year.

[A]

Yes, please.

[C]

So, Nicholas, if you're listening right now, where is next year? This year it's in Colorado. It's going to be in at smu. Not smu. I'm sorry.

[A]

Woo.

[C]

Cu.

[D]

Csu. Mountain Campus. Colorado State University.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Amazing. I want to be there. Let me know. Send me the invite. I'll be there.

[C]

Yeah, but, yeah, I'd love to know about some of your more challenging adventures that you've had, whether that's filming or on a specific project or something.

[A]

Yeah, I mean, I think every project will always have something, you know, like the. The fun thing about working with wildlife is you can't send them the call sheet. They don't know when to show up. They actually can't read.

[C]

So, you know, like, insert this real quick. We are about to leave on one of our adventure trips, which is a wildl trip to Grand Tetons in Yellowstone, and I have to keep preferencing everybody. Like, there's no guarantees here the animals are gonna cooperate. But that would be nice if we could do that.

[A]

I don't know if you know this, but they don't have cell phones

[C]

and there's no walls or cages out there, which that's great, and we love that. But no guarantees where they're going to be.

[A]

Yeah. Truly, Emma, like, I think that's maybe such a good objection to the way that social media has been training our brains, is that we're not taught to be patient anymore. And that's kind of the whole bit with wildlife is you really gotta be patient. You gotta be slow, you have to be quiet. You have to take your time. And, like, if you. I don't know, there's something about wildlife that they can. They feel your energy. And this is where I feel like, you know, I'm gonna just say American science and European science very much neglects the spiritual part of our experience in this world. It very much rejects, like, indigenous knowledge and things like that. And that's something that I do feel like queerness in nature is starting to meld a little bit more because it does intersect both of those schools of thought. But you, like, wildlife can just feel if you have good energy. So if you're, like, out there and you're. You're out there to exploit wildlife and you're just there to. You know, a good example is, like, sharks, if you're. If you're just out there to film yet another sensationalized shark TV show about how they bite, like, 10 whole people per year, but we kill Hundreds of thousands of them every year. Like, you're probably not gonna get as many sharks as you want, partially because of the energy, obviously. Like, there's other factors, but I do believe that that's a piece of it. So, you know, going back to your trip, I feel like setting the tone with people going in, being mindful of. Of just the energy they're putting out and being mindful of how they interact with nature and. And what they expect. And respecting it does help. It really does. Nature rewards you for being a good, kind person. So with that, I believe, yeah, it really. And it's. I've seen it over and over again, but. And some of the most beautiful moments I've ever had filming in nature has been with other queer people. I'm at a point where I. If I am staffing, like, choosing crew for a shoot, I will always pick queer people because the vibe is just different. And we end up getting better content and more, like, content that aligns with, like, the narrative that we're trying to tell, which ultimately is always about queer people. And in my independent projects. But. Okay, so back to difficult critters to film. I will say every critter can be difficult to film depending on how you approach it. But a good example is. So actually going back to my explorer project, we. It's. It's not guaranteed that, you know, like, California Sheephead were going to show up. And the first dive that we did off Anacapa, we only had one day, one whole day to film all of the underwater content that we needed for.

[C]

Wow.

[A]

This short project, which, you know, it was a small budget, admittedly, so that's. That's what we got. We have our one shot, and the first dive, we found, I think, just one sheephead. And we were expecting, like, handfuls of them. You know, it was like a weird kind of cloudy day, and, like, we couldn't. The visibility was bad. And I'm the kind of person that underwater, I really like natural light. I don't like artificial light. You can usually tell when it's artificial. And I could get into a whole other thing about how a lot of underwater filmmaking isn't quite representative of the natural world underwater for many reasons, but I try to keep it as natural as possible. So anyway, I was like. I made the decision. I was like, we're not gonna do lights. And then, of course, it was, like, super cloudy and stuff. And so it took us like, two or three dives at different sites to, like, finally find more than one sheep head. And, like, the clouds Parted and then we were all like in the water and we're all gay and it was amazing. And you could tell in the, in the pilot that like we did struggle to find these creatures. And I know it's not the most like amazing, like I got chased by a shark story, but it is kind of more representative of like the average experience of filming wildlife. Sometimes you get them right away, sometimes you don't. Another, another quick story I could tell as I was filming with PBS and we were filming sea turtles that were laying their eggs in, in Costa Rica. And for this shoot we had to wake up at like, I think we woke up at like 2am and then we would film from like 3am till 10am every, every day. So we were so exhausted and we did not see a single mother laying her eggs until the very last day that we this and we were there for two weeks doing this. So like, it's just, it's such a good reminder like usually nature will reward you at the very end. I like, I've talked to other filmmakers about this and it just happens like it's always the last day of, of the shoot that you will get the exact thing you need. But honestly it was the act of like waking up so early and like being out when everything was quiet and it was just lit by moonlight. We, we could only have like red light headlamps and things like that that like, you know, you can choose to believe wherever you want, but in a spiritual sense. It almost felt like we had to get into that quiet Zen headspace before that mother would allow us to see her. You know, there's nature is amazing.

[C]

That's my thing. Definitely. Definitely. Do you have any cool projects that you're working on that's coming up? I know you did that pilot. Is that show, did it come out? Is it already out where people can check it out or what other projects do you have coming up that people can check out?

[A]

Yeah, so the pilot is live. I've admittedly had a bunch of other things that I'm working on, so I haven't been able to secure more funding to make the entire first season. But the pilot's out and like people can go check it out. It's on YouTube and we also have an Instagram that's out in the Wild underscore show. And there we have it.

[C]

Is this all you like? This show is your show?

[A]

Yeah, it's, it's independent. So like Nat Geo funded it as like a seed. But it's not like a Nat Geo show. If that makes sense. So it's currently, like, you know, available for. If anyone wants to pick it up for development. You know, like, we have the pilot.

[C]

Throw it out there.

[A]

Yeah, exactly. So that is currently, like, a back burner. Thing is, I'm still thinking about, like, yeah, how can we actually make the full show? Because we just have the little pilot right now. But in addition to that, I'm doing a cool illustration project that's under NDA, but, like, I'm illustrating for the first time for a documentary, which is really cool, and illustrating some elusive species that there isn't much media for. So I got a call, and they were like, hey, you do cool drawings. Do you mind, like, helping us illustrate this for a documentary? So I'm very, very excited about that, and I think that'll come out later this year. So, you know, keep your eyes peeled. I'll put it on my socials and on my website and stuff like that. And then the independent project that I'm working on right now is. It's such a near and dear to my heart project, and I feel like y' all will really relate to it. It's called Deep is Our Roots, and it is a independent project. So we're currently looking for funders if anybody wants to help us out. But it is a film about a queer summer camp that I have volunteered with for several years now called Brave Trails. And it is.

[C]

I know Brave Trails.

[A]

Yeah, I think we talked about this last time. Yeah. But they, you know, they. They work with queer youth, and it's a leadership camp to help queer youth, you know, make a difference in their community and also be community. So it's. It's a very beautiful space to be in. And after being in it for, you know, several years and volunteering as a photographer, I realized that there's such a beautiful story to be had, you know, to be told about how this. This camp transforms lives. And so I talked with my. Actually, my co producer on my Nat Geo Explorer project. Brady was telling him about Brave Trails, and he's like, we need to make a film. And so we started Deep as our roots. And the film isn't just about the camp. The camp is more of a backdrop. But basically, Brave Trails opened their first camp in Georgia last year, and so we filmed that experience. Like, having a queer summer camp in the south is, like, a really big moment for Brave Trail specifically and for the communities here. And so we were able to document that. And then in addition to that, it's more about how, like, queer leadership in our Communities and like, going back to nature can be a healing experience. So there's another part to the documentary that's also about, like, community resilience through food and like, farming and agriculture with queer identities overlapped. So we have a previous camper named Zelda who had been going to Brave Trails for years and took what he learned from the camp and brought it back to his community in a way where he's making a difference by seed archiving and like, kind of going into the, the nitty gritty of queer ecology and. Yeah, working with, like, local farms to, like, help teach and educate and be a part in community with other queer people who are like, creating almost like food sovereignty for themselves. So, yeah, it's, it's a, like, it's a big ball of concepts. And we have our teaser done. Yeah, once we, once we put it out, it's going to be really, really special. Like, all the content that we have is just like nothing I've ever seen on screen before, which is how you know you're going in the right direction.

[C]

Amazing. I would, I've looked into it a little bit, but I would love to volunteer as a photographer for Brave Trails one year. I think that that would just be amazing. So just got to get to align with my schedule.

[A]

Oh, my gosh. Yeah, that's the tricky thing because, like, poor things. I, you know, I volun every year, but it's always like, hey, if I get a gig last minute, I'm so sorry, but I have to take it in this economy. Like, I gotta go. But, you know, they're, they're very sweet about it. And I highly recommend to anyone who's listening, if you're an adult and you want to get back to the queer community, you don't necessarily have to be queer yourself, but you do really gotta be a solid ally. Like, we don't want to, you know, bring biases and things like that to camp, but. Or if you're a queer youth, please also check out Brave Trails because you could come to camp and be a part of the community.

[C]

Yeah. Amazing. And starting to wrap up. And this is the first day of pride. Do you have any final thoughts? Whether that's about nature, queer nature, pride, anything that you want to share with our community as we we wrap it up?

[A]

I have so many thoughts, but I will distill them down because we only have so much time.

[C]

Let us have it.

[A]

Yes. My, my, my big thought, my big message to the queer community is your voice matters. No matter who you are, no matter what people Say to you, I never really thought that I had a unique perspective in wildlife filming. When I was like, you know, starting out in the industry, I was like, I don't know what I have to offer. Surprise. It's everything that you are, you know. So just please know that if you see the world differently, if you don't see yourself represented in media, it's unfortunate, but that is an invitation, that is an opening for you to show people that there are different ways to think about things. There are different ways to exist. There are different ways to. You live a beautiful life. So please know that your voice matters. And no matter how you want to tell your story, there are people out there who will feel loved and heard and seen just by you existing and by you putting yourself out there. So don't, don't be the first person to silence yourself. Don't be your, your first bully. The worst thing that can happen is like, whatever your desire is, whatever your goal is, doesn't happen. Yeah, plan B, you know, so, yeah, it's okay. Put yourself out there. The right people will find you.

[C]

So true, so good. Love it, love it, love it, love it. Patrick, what about you? First day of Pride. Any big thoughts or thoughts at all from you as far as Nova or questions for Nova or to the community?

[D]

That. That's so open ended and I love it. So. Pride Month is always. It's kind of bittersweet if I'm or just, just for me, it is celebration, it is being present, it is taking up space that I was afraid to do for so long. But the bitter part is, is it? I feel like this is still necessary in spite of just like years and progress being made and stuff. I get a lot of people ask, you know, why is Pride Month necessary? Like, I really wish it wasn't. I really wish it wasn't. But we are here. It is Pride Month. I'm going to be fucking proud. Oh, sorry. I'm going to be really proud. Mom, dad, if you're listening. But it's all. And what I love about this organization is that I am able to look at it through the lens of being a tiny part in the whole of queer nature. And you said it like really perfectly on the nose, Nova, that you're allowed to exist differently. And when you're talking about, like you have your story to tell, it may shock you, but somebody that you don't know needs to hear your story. And it's that kind of stuff, like stories from strangers from years ago that made such a heavy, heavy impact on my Life. So this Pride Month, be yourself, be authentic, be real, be bold about who you are, because you're fucking amazing. You deserve to be here and like, you're on this planet as part of nature, as this collective, and you are entitled to everything that comes with that. Amen.

[C]

Amen. How am I supposed to share anything more? Like, both of you hit it so well. I think if I would share anything to our community for Pride Month, it would be that you are wanted and you are loved. If you don't feel like you are, come join us. You will be wanted and loved here just as you are. Doesn't matter. It's as simple as that. So this Pride, I hope everybody gets out there and celebrates, you know, and has. Has a great time being able to live their authentic life. While at the same time, because I have received so many emails from people that listen to our podcasts in places where they aren't out, they aren't close to a big city that has a pride or has anybody else that they feel safe to be able to share their authentic self with. I want you to know that you are seen here and you are wanted here. We have people just like you come to LGBTQ Outdoor Fest to be able to have four days where they can step into the authentic selves before going back. And so there is a place where you can step out. Just find your people, find that spot because you are wanted and you are loved. Nova, where can people find you and learn more about you and your work?

[A]

Yes. So the most reliable place is novawestcreative.com it's my website. You're also welcome to reach out to me there if you want to collaborate or have questions or things like that. I do use the Instagram occasionally, so I've had a complicated, complicated relationship with Instagram, I think, since the last time I was on this podcast. Just because things have changed and you know, social media does not feel the safest at all times. But I do occasionally post, so you can also find me on Instagram @NovAwesome. And please feel free to send a message there as well if you'd like to say hi.

[C]

Perfect. Everybody should say hi.

[A]

Legally required if you.

[C]

It's legally required. If you've listened to this, you now have to say hi as well as leave us a review. All right, thank you, Nova. So glad to have you. To everybody listening, remember that you are awesome, you are loved. This pride, go out, try to live your authentic life life the best you can. Find your people. And until next time, get out there.

[B]

Thanks for listening to the LGBTQ Outdoors Podcast. Catch past episodes on your favorite streaming platforms and connect with us on Instagram or Facebook by searching LGBTQ Outdoors. Support our mission by joining the Trailblazer [e-mail] Trailblazers to learn more about our local chapters, LGBTQ Outdoor Fest, Adventure Trips, or to sign up for our newsletter, visit lgbtqoutdoors. Com. If you enjoying the show, be sure to follow, rate and review. It helps keep our mission going.