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- [00:00]
Lauren
Like, there are queer people and trans people of all sorts of varieties and backgrounds that I had never been exposed to growing up in what was a small, largely white town. And just getting to see people living full, happy adult lives as queer and trans people was incredibly eye opening. And so I started to get to explore that.
- [00:31]
Justin Yoder
What do you do when you come. Come out as LGBTQ and love the outdoors? What do you do when you see the outdoor space ruled by older white CIS men and desire a diverse community of outdoor lovers? Accept it, change it, create it. I am Justin Yoder, and this is LGBT Outdoors. Hey, everyone. Welcome to another episode of the LGBT Outdoors Podcast. We are super excited to have you joining us today. We have a great show lined up for you, and I think it's going to be very educational. And another great show. I got Patrick with me today, co hosting again.
- [01:12]
Patrick
Hey, everybody.
- [01:14]
Justin Yoder
So how's things in your world? Which is also my world, but.
- [01:22]
Patrick
Yeah, right. It's been a little bit bonkers. My spring is always, like, crazy busy with work. I've been out of town this month more than I've been home, and, like, I'm sharing that for everybody else's benefit. You're aware of this? I'm very well aware. You know, I got home a few days ago and then he was out of town, so. Yeah, it's nice to see you again.
- [01:46]
Justin Yoder
It's nice to see you again. For four days.
- [01:49]
Patrick
For four days. And then he's off. And then I'm off. And it's. It's the season.
- [01:55]
Justin Yoder
It is the season. And there's a lot going on in our world. Just touch on briefly, like, just in case. If people don't know why, maybe we might not be saying more. But as our status as a 501c3 non profit, we can't get into anything political. Kind of one of the downsides, because so much of that can reflect to the LGBTQ community, but.
- [02:23]
Patrick
Oh, absolutely. And we can talk about, you know, issues that are facing our community, which there are tons, and they are very heavy right now. Yeah, just. We can't talk direct politics, and that's to protect everybody in our community should we get in trouble. Like, funding goes away, and if funding goes away, the organization does well.
- [02:50]
Justin Yoder
I mean, even more so than funding. Like, you know, I'm going to stand up for our community's rights above all. But, like, we can lose our nonprofit status.
- [02:59]
Patrick
Right?
- [03:00]
Justin Yoder
That's. That's the big thing.
- [03:02]
Patrick
So in order for us to continue to be effective and support and build our community, we do have to play by the rules, but that doesn't mean that we can't talk about the. The impacts of things that are very, very real and facing people all across the country right now.
- [03:25]
Justin Yoder
Yeah. So with that said to everybody in our community, like, we, we hear you, we see you, we're with you, and we are going to continue doing what we do best and creating safe and diverse spaces outdoors for our community. And I hope that that provides a place of healing and mental freedom. Hopefully some stress release, all that kind of good things health wise, that the outdoors can provide as well.
- [03:57]
Patrick
And at the very least, a moment to take a break. And hopefully the deep realization that we're. Excuse me. That we are not going through this alone. Right. That's huge. And that is for every single letter in the rainbow Alphabet, every single color and color combination in our flag. Like, we are all in support of our community and we're going to keep on keeping on. And bottom line, we are not backing down, period.
- [04:41]
Justin Yoder
Yeah. And with that said, last podcast, we introduced the 100 Mile Club. And that is off and running.
- [04:49]
Patrick
Very nice. Off and running.
- [04:56]
Justin Yoder
And that's been very successful so far. So it's been really cool to see a lot of people signing up. And basically, if you're listening and you didn't listen to that episode, the 100 Mile Club is a new episode. New Episode is a new program that we have within LGBT Outdoors so people can sign up. There's a small fee involved that helps fund LGBT outdoors a little bit, so it's helping support us, but it's also helping get the community even more active when they're not doing or even when they're doing group hikes and stuff like that. But even if people are on their own, they. They joined the LGBT Outdoors Club on Strava. We track it. Every hundred miles that you complete, you get a challenge coin. And so it's kind of a fun way to. To challenge you and compete kind of against other people in the community. And then also, if they want it, we list you on the website too, so people can see who's involved in the 100 Mile Club. So really excited.
- [05:54]
Patrick
Yeah. That's not just like walking or hiking. That's biking. That's kayaking. That's like whatever you're doing to get.
- [06:03]
Justin Yoder
Outside and drive into the grocery store.
- [06:05]
Patrick
Right, right. It needs to be kind of human powered. Yeah. So. And outdoors.
- [06:12]
Justin Yoder
Yeah.
- [06:12]
Patrick
So. But yeah, get out there, put some mileage behind you, and you'll be healthier and happier for it. I bet.
- [06:22]
Justin Yoder
Definitely.
- [06:25]
Patrick
Another Thing LGBT Outdoor Fest, I want to say, like it's quickly arriving, but it only feels like that. That'll be in September. And up in New York, we're crazy excited about it. I have several people signing up taking advantage of our early bird pricing, which will end at the end of February. So February 28th is the last day to get the early bird pricing discount on this year's LGBT Outdoor Fest. If you want to learn more, go to lgbtoutdoors.com outdoorfest to see video from last year and learn more about. Is really something special, you guys. So check it out. Please come join us. I'm getting goosebumps. Sorry. Yeah, come on with it.
- [07:23]
Justin Yoder
Yeah. I'll say this to go along with that. You said we've had a few people sign up. As far as early bird registration goes, we've had more sign up during this time than we have ever had in the past, which is super exciting.
- [07:36]
Patrick
Off the top of your head, are those new people or are those returning people?
- [07:40]
Justin Yoder
I'm not sure, honestly. That's kind of a question for Josh McNabb, the chair for LGBT Outdoor Fest. But I feel like it's a good mix. So we're going. It's gonna be our biggest one for sure that we've done yet each year that grow over and over. And so it's going to be. It's going to be a great time.
- [07:59]
Patrick
Really looking forward to it. I've never been to, like, the outdoors up in New York, up in the Catskills. It looks amazing. Everything that I've seen online, and I'm getting the suspicion that I really need some New York in my life.
- [08:13]
Justin Yoder
Yeah, no, I agree. Also, we have our adventure trips. We've mentioned them on the podcast a couple times, but people are signing up for those. We have five this year. We're doing Grand Canyon, Broken boat, Oklahoma, for fly fishing. You and I are leading the Alaska trip in July, doing Glacier national park and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. So people are signing up on those. I wouldn't surprise me if those. Some of those might fill up, but if you're interested, go over to the website again, check it out, get signed up before. Before they get filled up.
- [08:58]
Patrick
It really wouldn't surprise me because I think we opened registration earlier than normal, but people are already signing up and it's really, really cool to see. So, yeah, go check it out.
- [09:11]
Justin Yoder
Yeah, absolutely. Well, we should jump in with our guests today. I am really excited, as always. We always have amazing guests and it's always fun to learn from them. So I, I always appreciate their time coming on. And today we have Laura Payne. They are one of our ambassadors in Oregon. And I've never even been to Oregon, but I'm going to be in May. And so I'm really excited because I can't even say it yet because contract still is not signed yet. But we have an amazing partnership that's coming out of Oregon and we're going to be going up there and May doing a collab with our chapter and this company. So I'm excited to get there and see what Oregon is all about. But Lauren, thank you for joining us today and love to hear a little bit about you to kick it off, like share with our audience, you know, kind of who you are, how you identify and what kind of the outdoor means to you from like did you get involved with the outdoors from a childhood or what was your childhood like? You know, anything like that that you would like to open up with so we can kind of lay the foundation for who you are.
- [10:28]
Lauren
Yeah, of course. Well, thank you for having me. I'm super excited to be here and happy to share a little bit. My name is Lauren. My pronouns are they, them. I am a queer and trans mask outdoor enthusiast. I currently live in Portland, Oregon. I've been here for about four years, but as a lot of people are in Portland, I'm a transplant from the Midwest, so I grew up in Michigan. And I think my finding the outdoors, I didn't have a very outdoorsy family growing up necessarily. I lived in Washington as a wee one and I've heard tales of the outdoor things my family and I did together. But in infancy I do not recall these things. So I, I tend to think like my finding the outdoors was in my little neighborhood as a kid, running around in the fields, in the woods and playing around in the weird pond behind that one house sort of thing and just finding the spaces that we could in that environment to get involved in the nature around us. So it's been quite a growth, I would say from the backyard pond situation to like the mountains of Oregon. But it's only made me enjoy the outdoors more and I'm excited for you to get a chance to come see Oregon's beauty as well. May is going to be a beautiful time to be here.
- [11:55]
Patrick
I feel like there's always a weird pond behind that one house.
- [12:01]
Justin Yoder
When they said that, I was like, yep, I remember that pond just down.
- [12:07]
Lauren
The street from the defunct playhouse.
- [12:12]
Justin Yoder
How we ever survived our childhood, I don't know, but good time.
- [12:17]
Lauren
My parents would Agree. Yeah.
- [12:19]
Justin Yoder
What took you to Oregon from Michigan? Which by the way, we do have an amazing chapter in Michigan as well for anybody that's listening that might be there.
- [12:28]
Lauren
Yeah, totally. So yeah, I grew up in Michigan all from like 5 years old until I graduated college. I went to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. So shout out. Go blue. But I graduated from there. Kind of like early pandemic times and I was just ready to go. I didn't see a need to stay around and I was like, if things are going to be weird in this pandemic space anyways, I might as well embrace the weird and the strange. So. Packed up a U haul and drove across the country and sight unseen moved into a bad apartment and made it work for the first year. Yeah, I, I work in the environmental field. So as I was looking for gigs after graduation, it's kind of the west coast has a little bit more opportunity wise for environmental careers. So I decided to get out here quick and get my start on the coast.
- [13:33]
Justin Yoder
Sounds like a great plan to me. I escaped the Midwest too though, so Missouri for me. Yeah. But unfortunately like not to knock. Texas, but unfortunately I didn't end up in a. An abundantly great outdoor state or not as good as Oregon, I guess I should say. Texas has a few gyms in it that are good, but man, the right door opens to another state with some mountains in it. Right.
- [14:08]
Patrick
I've actually done a drive by of the University of Michigan campus that's in Ann Arbor Harbor. Is that right? Yeah, yeah. Visiting a friend up there and I remember seeing like that massive M like everywhere. Yeah, like it's unmistakable.
- [14:24]
Lauren
It's. Yeah, it's a little, it's abrasive, you know, blue like everywhere you look. But it's a great little town to be in especially like if you have the chance to see the, the arboretum there and Mathi Botanical Gardens. Some of my favorite places in that area. Hard stop. So definitely recommend stopping by there if you get the chance.
- [14:49]
Patrick
Right on.
- [14:50]
Justin Yoder
Nice. You mentioned that you work in the environmental field. What, what do you do?
- [14:55]
Lauren
Yeah, well, I actually just started a new job this past Wednesday, so this is a fresh switch up for me. But I'm now working at a nonprofit focused on increasing equitable tree canopy cover and in and around Portland. So essentially I coordinate and run volunteer events where we plant trees and shrubs and try to make our neighborhoods and green spaces a little greener.
- [15:22]
Patrick
Very cool.
- [15:23]
Justin Yoder
That's a really awesome.
- [15:26]
Lauren
Yeah, I'm really excited. And if anyone is a big tree person, I Know, I get really nerdy about it. I'm notorious for my hikes. I'm like, do you see the white oak and the Gulf? Like, look at all the possibilities here. I'm only gonna get more obnoxious on that front now that I have.
- [15:46]
Patrick
Yes, Nerd out.
- [15:48]
Lauren
Exactly.
- [15:49]
Justin Yoder
It's. It's being educational, so love it.
- [15:52]
Lauren
Exactly. Yeah.
- [15:54]
Patrick
And being able to do that for a career is even better. Like, you know, you're passionate about it. You're already. And I say this loving, and like, you're already dorking out about it. So, like, why not get paid?
- [16:04]
Justin Yoder
That's awesome.
- [16:05]
Patrick
Sweet.
- [16:06]
Lauren
Yeah, I feel really lucky. There's a lot of really great environmental organizations in the Portland area doing some really cool work. So there's always a way to get outside, no matter kind of what your style is if you want to get involved in the community.
- [16:23]
Patrick
Awesome.
- [16:23]
Justin Yoder
Yeah, that's amazing. When it comes to getting outside, obviously we know that you love trees, but as far as activities go, what kind of things are you really passionate about doing when it comes to getting outside? Like, if you have a free Saturday, and it probably depends on the time of year and season, of course, but this is what you want to go into.
- [16:43]
Lauren
Yeah, totally. That's a great question. I'm. It is very much seasonally dependent, and for me, as someone who doesn't love torrential downpour, I made a very interesting decision to move to Portland, Oregon. So it looks different all the time, but I think my favorite thing is just getting out for a hike because it can look so many different ways. Portland is really lucky in that we have Forest park, the largest urban park in the US So I can bop over the bridge like five miles, and I've got like, however many hundreds of acres or what have you to explore, or I can get in the car and drive half an hour to, like, the tallest waterfall on the gorge. And that's a hike of its own type. So I think I really enjoy that because of. You can really tailor it to anything you want or need it to be. Any group that you're taking, you can make it work for everyone. And it is something that I've found tolerable to do in the rain. It did shell out for a really good rain jacket, but, you know, pick your battle. That was when I lost.
- [17:58]
Justin Yoder
I was amazed. I think it was you. And I forget who else, because we have a chapter in Washington too. So you. You both get quite a bit of rain up there. But I've been surprised to see a few of our Ambassadors up there, being out there hiking with their group in the rain. And I feel like here in Texas, people would be like, I'll see you next time. I'll catch. I'll catch the next event. But, like, you all up there just like, yep, let's go do it. And I feel like. I feel like that would be really calming and peaceful at the same time. As long as you're not getting, like, a torrential downpour. If it's just a nice, steady rain, like.
- [18:38]
Lauren
Yeah, I know.
- [18:39]
Justin Yoder
Something about that seems.
- [18:40]
Patrick
Oh, yeah.
- [18:41]
Justin Yoder
Enjoyable. As long as, you know when we're.
- [18:43]
Patrick
Camping and like, rain is falling on the tent like that. That is like magic.
- [18:47]
Justin Yoder
Yeah. But you're in a tent, right? Yeah.
- [18:51]
Patrick
Or protected. But just like the. The noise is like, super Zen chill.
- [18:57]
Justin Yoder
What he's really talking about is our sound machine that plays.
- [19:03]
Patrick
Every night.
- [19:04]
Lauren
A real thing.
- [19:05]
Justin Yoder
Yeah, that's true.
- [19:06]
Lauren
Yeah, definitely. It's a. It's a certain type of resilience. Doesn't feel like quite the white. The right word. But people just like, I've, over the years, started to get more comfortable with going out in the rain. And it's just like if you let your life stop because it's raining, you are stuck inside for like six months of the year here. So you find ways to get out and enjoy it. And exactly. Like you were saying, like, the. Even in the pouring rain, there's something so magical about. Right. Like a coniferous forest just, like fogged out and like.
- [19:42]
Justin Yoder
Yes.
- [19:42]
Lauren
It's very vibey.
- [19:44]
Justin Yoder
Yeah.
- [19:45]
Lauren
So it's. It's. It's enjoyable in its own ways, for sure.
- [19:49]
Patrick
There's like a whole TED Talk in what you just said, like, don't let the rain stop you.
- [19:55]
Lauren
Yes. Important messages there.
- [20:00]
Justin Yoder
That's amazing. This is kind of like diving kind of a little bit. But I'm just thinking about this and think it would be a good tip for people that are listening. So when you do go hiking in the rain, what are you doing as far as footwear goes? Because I feel like that could be one of the things that makes people could run a good hike. You know, feet, socks, getting wet and maybe blisters and whatnot.
- [20:27]
Lauren
Yeah, totally.
- [20:28]
Justin Yoder
But I'm curious what. And because, I mean, you all deal with the rain up there so much. I'm sure that you guys have good solutions to it. Or maybe you're just not wimps like us here in Texas, and they're just like, fight through it and it's not that big of a deal.
- [20:43]
Lauren
No, totally. There's it's definitely a little bit in the gear. So thinking things like good wool stocks, like nice breathable fibers, things that can dry out quickly. There's kind of like seems like two schools of thought in terms of shoe wear. Like some people go like full waterproof and just keep all the water out. Some people don't like that because then it's all stuffy in there. And then you get in the car with your hiking partner afterwards and you take off your boots and they're about to push you out. So some drawbacks to that. And then there's some folks that really like the like meshy, really breathable type of things where it's like you will get wet, but it will also like breathe and dry out when given the opportunity. So kind of a toss up. I myself have just like leather boots that I spray like a water resistant coating onto every now and again and that does it for me. And I usually have a pair of sandals in the car so I can ditch whatever I've been wearing at the end of the day anyways.
- [21:45]
Justin Yoder
I learned that probably on my first hike in Colorado, like here in Texas, that's it's not that big of a deal, but when you go in like Colorado or any of these more mountainous areas and you go on a hike and your feet are killing you, like once you get back to the car, there's no better feeling than getting those hiking boots off and getting into sandals and just letting your feet breathe.
- [22:08]
Lauren
Letting the dogs out.
- [22:10]
Justin Yoder
Yeah, yeah, exactly. So you, you have enjoyed the outdoors since a very young age. What's like one of your most memorable moments in the outdoors at a younger age, I guess, where that might be. It was an experience that really helped you solidify your passion and your love for the outdoors. Kind of one of those, maybe a mountaintop moment where you're just like, yeah.
- [22:36]
Lauren
I, I love this totally. I think when I think about this, there are some like vague memories I can pull from when I was young and like looking over the Pacific Ocean from our place on Whidbey Island. But I think what really concreted my interest in the outdoors is when I finally was able to drive myself places as a teenager in mid Michigan to do the classic thing. I grew up here, so I really have like a ton of great, really robust natural spaces to explore. But once I was able to drive and I could get myself to those places, I remember the first trip I took with a couple of friends doing camping up on the Lake Superior shore up in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore area. And Just the feeling of getting ourselves up there and having, I think it was like that four or five days to really just immerse in that environment and feel untethered to all of the stresses of home and whatever I was so infuriated about at age 16, you know, could be so many different things, but it was a really welcome time and just showed me like how powerful the outdoors is for me as a space to decompress and recenter to be able to go back into, you know, real life.
- [24:10]
Justin Yoder
Yeah, I love that you learned that at such a young age. Like I feel like every young person should be able to like have that experience and just learn about what nature can provide to you in that sense.
- [24:27]
Patrick
Because like it's super easy to and to trivialize the emotions of a 16 year old. Like that was my gut reaction. But also I'm looking back to when I was 16 and coming out, like emotionally things were intense and like, it may seem like completely out of whack, but like that their emotions are real. And I wish I had the mindset and I guess access or to the outdoors to be able to use as an outlet when I was 16 and coming out in the world is like crazy and scary even still is like, that would have been like a really big like course correction I think in my life had I gotten to learn that so easy so early.
- [25:30]
Lauren
Yeah, absolutely. It's such a valuable, you know, thing for spiritual, emotional, mental, physical health. Like, I mean, as we go further into the future and I just, I hope more and more kids have the opportunity through organizations like LGBT Outdoors and others to help them get to those outdoor spaces. It's going to be more and more important to have those, you know, places of solace and reconnection when so much else can feel so tumultuous. I couldn't imagine being 16 again right now. If I thought I was angry, then. Yeah, so I totally agree. And I was definitely very privileged to have my little beater Honda that could take me everywhere I needed it to get. And I hope that for all young kids. For sure.
- [26:25]
Justin Yoder
Yeah, for sure. I'm wondering if you mind touching on your journey a little bit more. I know everything going on in our world, my heart is, I mean it goes out to our whole community, but especially trans and non binary people. So many laws and stuff that's coming out. But I'm wondering for people if you can share a little bit of your journey with people that are listening. Because we get people that will write us that listen to the podcast that they're not out. They don't feel like they ever can come out. They are accept who they truly feel like they are because of where they live or their community or family or whatever the case is. And they love being able to hear our stories because it's so encouraging to them. And sometimes they don't have other resources either to be able to learn. I know. Like, even one thing that we do at LGBT Outdoor Fest is we do a campfire conversation at each one on they them pronouns. And we have people that will come to OutdoorFest from time to time. They'll just be like, I never even heard of they them pronouns. So I think a lot of times we take for granted those of us that are really around a lot of other community members and don't realize there's people in our country that don't know about trans people or non binary people or why people go by they them pronouns. So I'm wondering if you don't mind sharing a little bit of your journey with that.
- [28:08]
Lauren
Yeah, absolutely. I'm happy to. Yeah. So I grew up in mid Michigan, and I think all things considered, I don't want, like, I had a pretty good childhood and felt like I had a good set of friends around me that could really keep me tethered when I was feeling so all over the place. And I think in that space, as a kid, I'm talking like high school age. I don't think I knew why I felt so passionately about these issues that were coming up. It was like I was in high school during the 2016 election, and I just, I just knew I didn't agree and I didn't think it had anything to do with me personally. I was like, I am a strong ally and, you know, had that classic, like, path of. Once I had the space to graduate and I got to move out of my hometown to Ann Arbor, a larger, more liberal city in general. And I was able to further expand the group of people that I had around me that could understand and help me discover these types of things. And it was there, I think, halfway through my freshman year that I was like, okay, like, these are all the options that I had never seen represented to me before. Like, there are queer people and trans people of all sorts of varieties and backgrounds that I had never been exposed to. Growing up in what was a small, largely white town and just getting to see people living full, happy, adult lives as queer and trans people was incredibly eye opening. And so I started to get to explore that. I found a bit more sexuality wise and came out to my family that freshman year. And then a couple years later is when I started to, you know, discover more about my gender identity and was using they. Them pronouns. And now it's been, say, like six or so years that I've been, you know, feeling pretty solid in that identity and so is evolving and I'm learning more about myself all the time, but I think it was all in the finding people who could understand and help you explore things without judgment. So. Yeah. And then when I went to. I was graduating college and I knew I was trans, and I was like, I want to go somewhere where I can continue to find more community and more people that understand. Portland is kind of a shining star for the trans community. So made my way out here and it's been a fantastic place to. To meet more folks like me. Trans folks from all sorts of different backgrounds. Yeah. So that's kind of the trajectory that I had going through school and coming out and all that sort of stuff.
- [31:35]
Justin Yoder
That's awesome. I'm glad that you were able to really find a lot of yourself, at least during high school, because, like, I know a lot of people. Patrick came out in high school. I didn't come out until I was like 28. So pretty different experiences. But I feel like if somebody can really learn to accept themselves at a younger age, just. I don't know, it's, it's. It just helps you accept yourself and really know who you are and find happiness sooner. And a lot of people don't come out till much later than in life, and some people never do. And everybody has their own journeys, that's for sure. But one thing that you said that I really liked is that is that we're continually even evolving as ourselves. Like, even when you, you know, when I accepted myself as, as being gay back in 2010, well, I have changed a lot since then. You know, obviously still gay, but really just the, the more years in time that goes by, the more that you learn yourself better. And, and it's just, it's a great, great experience when you can learn to accept yourself, I guess, is basically.
- [32:55]
Patrick
And like allowing that growth to happen with other people on their own timeline as well. I'll be fully honest. It wasn't for, like, lack of empathy or wanting to be inclusive. There was just a long stretch of time where I had not been exposed to transgender and non binary folk. And so it was a newer concept to me that, you know, maybe trying a little too hard to, like, make sure I'm using the right words and everything. And now, like everybody is part of the rainbow is how I see it. And as a cisgender white gay man, I still have infinitely more privilege than a lot of our siblings under the rainbow flag. And if I'm not using that to, you know, speak out and support, but also to continue learning, yeah, like, then I'm failing everybody, you know, and speaking of growth, when he came out in 2010, I really doubt that he ever saw himself being married to a guy. But also creating a nationwide queer nonprofit organization probably wasn't in his predictions either. So, yeah, I mean, everybody has their own journey and you know, I'm here for it. But real quick, we're going to take a short little break and come back and continue chatting with Lauren. So we'll be right back.
- [34:52]
Justin Yoder
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- [35:53]
Patrick
All right, and we are back. Hey everybody. Still here with Lauren and reminder. They're out in Oregon and as a reminder, as Texans, we are jealous. So share with us. Everybody knows that Oregon is like super duper awesome for the outdoors. What is it that like, really, really gets you going? Like, what's special about it to you?
- [36:28]
Lauren
Oh, that's tough. I think on a broad scale, what really, what I really love about Oregon is that you can find every type of environment here, whether that's the coast and the rocky beaches or Mount Hood and up in the alpine regions or you know, like deep conifer forests. We've also got high deserts and caves and this, that and the other thing, like, wow. I tell people all the time, like I could go outside and do a different hike or exploration every day of my life for the rest of the time that I live here and I still would not see it all. So I think that like on a Big scale, the number of possibilities just really is awesome. And it keeps things so exciting. But I think maybe zooming in a bit more. What really, what I really like, especially maybe this is a more of a Portland privilege than some other places. But the access to nature is so close. Like I was talking about earlier with Forest park or just getting out into. It's the Columbia River Gorge, so a whole bunch of waterfalls along the Color River. It's all within our drive max. And I think just being able to get to those places so quickly is just really special.
- [38:01]
Patrick
I totally get that because, you know, and I love the outdoors. But if you're telling me that I have to drive like two, three hours or something and it's not uncommon. Texas, like, you know, four or five hours, I'm just like, eh, you know, my interest just kind of like crashed.
- [38:20]
Lauren
You start to have to like, weigh your desire to be out in those places with like. But I have to drive and pay for gas and like, do this, that and the other thing. And it really. It complicates it, right?
- [38:33]
Patrick
Absolutely. Like the. It's not so much a barrier of entry, but, like, I would rather put effort into building a campsite or put effort into paddling my kayak down a river versus, like, putting the effort and investment into driving for, you know, X number of hours before the adventure even begins.
- [38:56]
Lauren
Exactly.
- [38:57]
Patrick
So y'all have got a pretty sweet setup there then.
- [39:00]
Lauren
Yeah, it's pretty nice for that. And even in my. My little Honda, like, I've still got her. She gets me where I need to go. Like, there are few places where you need like, a big old truck to get somewhere, which I think is a pretty cool thing. Not many people I know drive trucks big enough to get down some of those forest service roads, so the accessibility and the ability to get to those places is really cool. But I get you on the long drive growing up in Michigan, like, getting up to the. Up to the, like, Lake Superior. Ten hours maybe, if you're going fast. So yeah.
- [39:44]
Justin Yoder
Yeah. Big difference with that. Is there any, like, hidden gems in Oregon that you really love? And just like, I'm sure when people come to visit, they are googling and searching and hitting all the big things. But are there any of those, like, small things that you're just like or things that people don't find easily that you're just like. You really should hit this whenever you come to Oregon.
- [40:10]
Lauren
Yeah, I mean, I feel like I am still finding out, like, going on year four. I think I'm finally getting into the places that are like, more off the beaten path. Like, I've checked off all the major tourist attractions and everything, but yeah, I think if folks are looking for some lesser known spots to hit in Oregon, you really, you. You'd be remiss to skip the southern Oregon coast. It's. It's kind of a drive from most places, but it's gorgeous. I love the Rogue River, Sisu National Forest. Just places with immense beauty. Mountains, ocean, you name it. And you're hard pressed to see more than a handful of other people while you're out there. So, yeah, I really shout out to Southern Oregon, southeastern Oregon, out in the high desert. Really cool places to be that aren't necessarily the image people conjure of Oregon when you picture visiting here, but are unique environments that you're not really going to find anywhere else. Okay, yeah, maybe that's a weird suggestion, but the desert, when you come to Oregon, do the desert.
- [41:22]
Justin Yoder
Yeah. So I got to touch on that a second because I did not realize there's desert in Oregon. What. What's it look like? Are we looking at just like sand.
- [41:33]
Lauren
Rocks, like, it's probably pretty different from what y'all picture.
- [41:40]
Justin Yoder
Yeah.
- [41:40]
Lauren
I say that I just visited Arizona for the first time. I don't know if that's anything like Texas, but it was a different type of desert than I had ever seen. So not, not your cactus cowboy type desert. But yeah, high desert environments with. It gets really, really cold, you get snow, it's pretty rocky. But I think a lot of our areas of desert are really known for like the, the Red cliffs and some of the fossil areas. This one's a little north. It's called the John Day area. But they've got these beautiful, like blue cliff sides that were carved out by the Missoula floods. Like remarkable open landscapes, ancient juniper trees, you know, those really scraggly guys that look like they belong in some sort of horror movie. So it's just really special. And a lot of species and native and endemic plants and animals that live there that you just can't find them anywhere else.
- [42:44]
Patrick
Real quick, asking for a friend. Endemic. Can you define that for us?
- [42:51]
Lauren
Yeah, like, basically native to that space. So like a species of butterfly can be endemic to Oregon. It's from there.
- [43:02]
Patrick
Got it. Cool. Thank you. I learned something today.
- [43:05]
Lauren
I can't find it other places. I need to refresh it myself, but yeah.
- [43:10]
Patrick
So it's not necessarily exclusive. It's just. Is that what you're saying?
- [43:15]
Lauren
Yeah.
- [43:17]
Patrick
Hey, cool.
- [43:19]
Justin Yoder
Let's chat about the ambassador program. A little bit.
- [43:22]
Lauren
Yeah. Let's do it.
- [43:23]
Justin Yoder
How long have you been an ambassador now? I know it's been a little while. And what, what gave you the desire to become an ambassador?
- [43:33]
Lauren
Yeah, I think I'm coming up on my year mark here soon, or it might even be a little longer than that time has flown. But I wanted to get started as an ambassador because, well, I guess going back a little bit, the job I had before this was in the hiking trail sector. So I was really deeply embedded in trails and what trails were around Oregon and was really interested in finding ways to get people to these. Some of these hidden gems, like things that I had never heard about. But because I had had my ear to the ground and like new people, I was like, I want more people to know about these things and be able to see these and experience them. Like, you don't have to just be, you know, the guy that's an outdoor expert and has lived in Oregon for 50 years to get to this mountain. You can still get there and I want to take you. And I wanted to be able to share those experiences with my friends and my community. So I think that's what really drove me to get involved as I, I saw what y'all had going on and I thought it was such a great platform to, you know, get visibility for opportunities like this.
- [44:49]
Justin Yoder
That's amazing. I love hearing that. Tell us a little bit about some of the events maybe that you've led or some memorable moments that you've had. Leading events.
- [45:00]
Lauren
Yeah, well, I think, you know, every time I lead one, that one becomes my new favorite experience or memory to reference back to. But this hike we just had, it was up on Mount Hood at Trillium Lake and it was meant to be a snowshoe. It was nice and packed, so we didn't even have to strap on the snowshoes. And we had a beautiful like four and a half mile jaunt around the lake and it ended up being frozen enough that people were out there playing and having picnics and making snowmen and doing all sorts of fun stuff. And I think that is now my favorite because it's my first snow based event. And being a Midwestern baby, I miss the snow as opposed to the rain in the winter sometimes. So it's nice to get up there and have a chance to play and just like swap back into a snowbank, you know, Nothing quite like it. I don't know if you Texans would get it, but it's pretty cool.
- [46:03]
Justin Yoder
I can growing up in Missouri, so I can Relate to that. I think we also just shared on our Instagram account a photo from that event, if I re. If I remember right, because you. You had the flag in the snowman that you. That you all built. So awesome. If you aren't following us on Instagram, just look up LGBT outdoors and you can see that photo. And if you're watching on YouTube, we're going to be hopefully dropping some photos in here, too, so you can be checking those out. Yeah, absolutely. Love that. I love the ambassador program and the community that it creates. And, you know, sometimes ambassadors worry about, you know, oh, I don't have a huge group come to my event this time, you know, and sometimes they just have maybe two, three, four people that come. But for those two, three, four people, that connection that happens and being able to get out there with somebody else that is like you. And, you know, this is a safe space for me, and people are going to accept me and welcome me just as I am and get out there and explore nature. It's just an incredible thing that. That I love to see. And so we're hoping to build more ambassadors, get more ambassadors around the country. We're really hoping by the end of 2025 to have ambassadors in all 50 states, which would just be amazing, and I think that we could do that.
- [47:24]
Patrick
And, like, right now, kind of where we are in, like, the overall vibe in our country, like, the ambassadors are doing such important work, like allowing and encouraging the queer community to just get outside, unwind, chill, connect, whatever it needs to be for each individual person. Just kind of as like a healing sort of space. Like, that's a heavy lift for sure, but I think even as time goes on, it's so crazy important. And I'm grateful that collectively as an organization and the many, many, many volunteers who help make this thing go, I'm hoping that collectively we can just keep keep going and. And growing with that. So if you're listening and the idea of pitching in and helping out your community and you love the outdoors, come talk to us at LGBT Outdoors. Shameless little plug.
- [48:34]
Lauren
For what it's worth, too. Like, I had a first couple events where it was just like, a handful of people. 2, 3, 4. And I was like, man, is. Am I If something isn't clicking or, like, I'm not doing this or that thing. And it just takes time for people to know and find resources and connect with one another. Like, we had a group of 10, I think, come out for the Trillion Lake Snowshoe, and that was amazing and, like, nice so it can just take time for that momentum to get going. But exactly like you're saying, like, this is exactly the time to be building your community and finding spaces where you can come together and feel safe and supported. And in an environment like we have right now, doing that is a form of resistance.
- [49:16]
Patrick
Yes.
- [49:16]
Lauren
Form of fighting for your community, the people you love. Getting out and being yourself is, is a way to do that. And I want to acknowledge for people, too, that, like, that is brave to be doing.
- [49:30]
Justin Yoder
Yeah.
- [49:30]
Lauren
And so, yeah, I feel really lucky to get to be an ambassador and, and help to create these spaces for people. I highly recommend people do it if they're interested.
- [49:40]
Justin Yoder
We love having you too, and helping build that organ chapter. And I 1000% agree with you. You know, like, we do, we do need to be a light. And like, I, I've said this before, just like, kind of on my own social media, like, I'm not going to tell anybody what to, to feel, think or feel because there's a lot of different emotions going on. But for those that do want to be the light and, and feel like they, they can stand up and be seen and not be pushed into the shadows, I think that that's amazing and I hope that that encourages other people to do the same. Now, on the flip side of that, if people don't feel like they can do that, you know, especially our, our trans and non binary friends, and they just feel like they need to play it safe and, and whatnot, I totally understand that as well. So it's, it's a weird, weird time to navigate. And again, I'm not going to tell anybody how they should feel or what they should do, but I am thankful for the community that we're building and for all the ambassadors just like you, Lauren, that are out there getting our community outside, whether that is just two or three people coming on a bit, or if that's 20 people coming on event, I love it. And it's all meaningful and all very.
- [51:07]
Patrick
Impactful and like, if you're listening or watching and there's any doubt in your mind, want to make it abundantly clear that you are welcome and you are wanted. That's it. Like, no qualifiers, like, come as you are. Queer community. Like, just know that you're not alone.
- [51:34]
Justin Yoder
Yeah. What kind of barriers do you think are still out there as far as the LGBTQ community goes? The queer community goes in, in nature, maybe, maybe geared towards Oregon. I know Oregon is a lot more welcoming and friendly, but I, I feel like we're always going to have work to do as far as our community goes in general, but also in the outdoors, since that's what we're focused on. And what do you think we could do or our community can do to kind of shed light on that?
- [52:15]
Lauren
Yeah, I think that's a great question. I mean, yeah, Oregon's known as a blue state in Portland specifically, a very progressive city. But that doesn't erase all of the problems that are happening around the state. And I think really where I see that come into play is it's kind of that typical format of very progressive city centers. And then you can feel very tangible shift when you leave that space and enter those more rural communities. And I think, I mean, even for me, like, that's where I get nervous is like, okay, well I'm gonna have to park at this trailhead in the middle of nowhere. And like the last person I saw had a Trump flag on her truck. You know, like, those are still very real things that happen 30 minutes outside of Portland. So I think that just in terms of like, emotionally that is a burden to be carrying and to have to consider your, your safety in that way of being in an outdoor space is really heavy. So I think that's a place where, you know, stuff like this community and strength and safety in numbers is a really great way to sort of navigate that space. And then there's also the very real like, not that those emotional barriers aren't tangible, but the very like, physical things of like. Well, I mean, as queer and trans people, we're more likely to be hit by socioeconomic factors that don't make it simple for us to get to these outdoor spaces. You know, we're not making as much money to have this, that gear, all the passes, having cars and gas and time off work to be able to, to do these grand adventures is, is such a privilege. And so I think that's really just like, that's the one where it's, it's so interwoven into things. And the biggest thing we can do is each of us use our privilege and resources to lift the next person in any way that we can. So just always like holding for myself that means I'm trans, but I'm also white and privileged enough to have a full time job and I can use those parts of my identity to support other people. And if we can all look out for one another in those ways, we can help to address the larger system until, you know, we can get that, the big sweeping momentum that is really needed.
- [54:59]
Justin Yoder
Yeah, yeah. What would you, what Would you tell somebody that's a part of the queer community that maybe has never gotten involved in the outdoors or doesn't think that hiking is for them, or they're just hesitant because they're like, the woods is a scary place to be. What, what kind of advice could you give somebody in those situations to help encourage them as. I think it's good to step outside of your comfort zone from time to time. And I do think that when somebody tells me, oh, I don't like the outdoors, I want to know, well, why do you think you don't like the outdoors? And then you hear something like, well, it's outdoors. It's like, okay, let's, let's, let's work through this a little bit here. Well, there's bugs or, you know, whatever it might be. But I feel like you take somebody that says, I don't like the outdoors, and you do a nice, easy morning hike to them, and you do watch the sunrise. Like, how can anybody say after that, like, yeah, I never want to do that again, you know, But I'm curious from your point of view.
- [56:20]
Lauren
Yeah, I think advice I would give first just that, like, knowledge is power in these spaces. Knowledge is safety, comfort, like, knowing, okay, this is what it's going to look like when I get to the trail. This is what I should have with me, you know, in case of emergency or just if I get hungry. Like, knowing all of these things to the best of your ability, having them, having things written down, like, you don't have to memorize any sort of playbook. Like, it's okay to lean on resources and other people and, you know, use all the things that you can to make that space feel approachable for you and then find people to go with. I think I always encourage people to be going on adventures with, with friends because it's more fun. But it also helps to break down those barriers of, like, I don't know what to do if this happens and I'm alone. Like, there are still things where I'm outside and like. And I'm like, oh, if this thing happened right now, I don't even know what I would do. So, like, there's no level of being an outdoors enthusiast where you know everything like you never will. So don't let not knowing everything. Let you not get started and learn something. Yeah, being in the outdoors looks different for everyone. So you don't need to be climbing the side of mountain to be a hiker or an outdoor or anything of that nature. It's just stepping outside Your front door and doing whatever feels good for you.
- [58:01]
Justin Yoder
Exactly.
- [58:01]
Patrick
Bingo.
- [58:02]
Justin Yoder
And I love crushing the stereotypes that queer people don't like the outdoors. Like, and that's really a big part of how this all even started was through an Instagram account showing queer people in the outdoors to break down that stereotype, you know, because so many people think, oh, the gays just want to go to the clubs and bars and drinks and chop and all of that kind of thing. I'm like, no, we. I. We want to go outdoors. We want to climb the mountains. We want to see the views. We want to explore and take in all nature has to offer. So that's. That's awesome. I like that. Yeah. I think we should do some rapid fire questions.
- [58:46]
Patrick
Rapid fire? Yeah, I'm adding sound effectual.
- [58:52]
Justin Yoder
All right, you want to rotate through these?
- [58:55]
Patrick
Sure.
- [58:55]
Justin Yoder
All right, cool. You ready? All right. Sunrise or sunset?
- [59:00]
D
Oh, sunset. You can't get me up that early.
- [59:05]
Justin Yoder
All right.
- [59:06]
Patrick
Favorite snack while hiking.
- [59:08]
D
Oh, okay. I don't want to hear any. Any flack for this, like, trail mix. And the raisins are my favorite part. Okay, I'll support that, but I. That's the best.
- [59:27]
Justin Yoder
Well, we have a new board member, Bailey Buckles, that likes to take fried chicken.
- [59:34]
Patrick
Cold fried chicken.
- [59:35]
Justin Yoder
Cold fried chicken. So.
- [59:37]
Patrick
Yep.
- [59:37]
Justin Yoder
I mean, that yours was not as bizarre as I thought that it was going to be after hearing that, so.
- [59:45]
Patrick
Exactly.
- [59:46]
Justin Yoder
Totally. Yep. All right. Mountains, forest, or coast?
- [59:50]
D
Forest.
- [59:53]
Justin Yoder
All right.
- [59:53]
Patrick
What is your go to outdoor gear that you can't live without?
- [59:58]
Lauren
Oh, good.
- [60:01]
D
Pair of boots.
- [60:03]
Patrick
Nice.
- [60:04]
Justin Yoder
Cool. Spring, summer, fall, or winter bring.
- [60:10]
D
There was nothing like the wildflowers coming out.
- [60:13]
Patrick
Oh, yeah.
- [60:14]
Justin Yoder
Okay. Yeah, I'm a fall guy myself, but I can see that too.
- [60:19]
Patrick
And what's one outdoor activity that's kind of on your bucket list that you have not attempted?
- [60:25]
D
Okay, I say this all the time. I don't feel that I'm coordinated enough to be a winter sports person, but I would love to be a snowboarder. I think it would look sick.
- [60:36]
Patrick
Oh, yes.
- [60:37]
D
And I would love to try, but I am so terrified of breaking my body.
- [60:44]
Justin Yoder
I like how. I like how they weren't even, like, breaking my leg or breaking my arm. It's just, like, breaking my body.
- [60:51]
Patrick
Go straight there. Yep.
- [60:54]
Justin Yoder
We, like, see Lauren on in a body cast, like, oh, they tried snow party. Oh, that's funny. All right, well, in closing, do you have any upcoming events? So anybody that's listening in Oregon, any upcoming events that you might want to share? I'm not sure if you got Any scheduled yet or you got something in the works?
- [61:27]
D
I don't have a date picked out yet, but I'm aiming to do a wildflower hike in the eastern Columbia River. Gorgeous. Towards the end of March. So folks should keep an eye out on that. And I'll be posting more details on the LGBT Outdoors Oregon Facebook page, as well as my own Instagram and everything. So, yeah, keep an eye out.
- [61:48]
Lauren
It's gonna be a good one.
- [61:50]
Patrick
And that fits their answer of spring because the wildflowers.
- [61:55]
Justin Yoder
It does.
- [61:56]
Patrick
That's a follow through right there. Love it.
- [61:58]
Justin Yoder
So to.
- [62:02]
Lauren
Re.
- [62:02]
Justin Yoder
Emphasize that just a little bit, if you are in Oregon and you want to connect and you're on Facebook, if you just search LGBT Outdoors Oregon, you'll find the Oregon chapter and you can join it. If you're not, you can sign up for our newsletter to be able to stay up to date with upcoming events. Or there was something else I was going to say. I mean, you can obviously check out all of the events on our website if you go to lgbtoutdoors.com events, local chapter events, and then you can select Oregon and you can see anything that's coming up. I think we have. Do we have two or three ambassadors in Oregon?
- [62:42]
D
I believe there's two of us, but there's also a couple of really active Washington ambassadors too. So for more Northern Oregon folks, lots of stuff going on in the Pacific Northwest in general.
- [62:53]
Justin Yoder
Yeah.
- [62:54]
Patrick
Love it.
- [62:55]
Justin Yoder
How far has been from you?
- [62:56]
D
Bend is about three hours.
- [63:02]
Justin Yoder
Okay. I think we are going to be really close to having ambassador come on in.
- [63:07]
Lauren
Okay.
- [63:07]
Justin Yoder
That would be great. So that would be cool. Well, awesome. Lauren, how can people connect with you and find out about you, your adventures, Social media, Anything you want to share?
- [63:22]
D
Yeah, well, people can find me on the LGBT outdoors Facebook page or my personal Instagram is Lauren, three O's underscore pain. You're welcome to follow me. Message me. I'm happy to go on hikes with people anytime.
- [63:41]
Justin Yoder
Perfect.
- [63:42]
Patrick
Awesome.
- [63:43]
Justin Yoder
And we will list that in the show notes so people can find it easy as well. Lauren, thank you so much for joining us today. It's been so much fun getting to know you a little bit and I'm even more excited to get out to Oregon in. In May. We're going to have a great time, so you and I will be connected.
- [64:02]
D
I appreciate it. I had so much fun and I'll be looking out for you come May. We'll. We'll get some. Some little adventures on the books.
- [64:10]
Patrick
Nice.
- [64:10]
Justin Yoder
Absolutely.
- [64:11]
D
All right.
- [64:12]
Justin Yoder
All right, everyone. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of the LGBT Outdoors Podcast. Hopefully you learned some great information from this. I know I did. And Patrick did too. He's shaking his head over here. For those of you that aren't watching on Instagram, yeah, but be sure to check out our website, sign up for our newsletter, get connected and hopefully we'll see you on a trail soon. And until next time, get out there. Thanks for tuning in to this episode of the LGBT Outdoors Podcast. You can catch up on past episodes on your favorite podcast streaming platforms. Stay connected with us on Instagram @LGBToutdoors and join our vibrant community at facebook.com groups LGBToutdoors. Support our mission to promote LGBTQ + inclusion in the outdoors by becoming a member of the Trailblazer Society at LGBToutdoors.com/trailblazers. For more information about LGBT Outdoors, LGBT Outdoor Fest, local chapters, adventure trips, or to sign up for a newsletter, head to lgbtoutdoors. Com. If you're enjoying the episode. Don't forget to rate, review and follow us. Your support makes a difference.