Queering the Outdoors: Experiences of 2LGBTQIA+ Outdoor Recreation Professionals

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of Two Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, Plus non-conforming identities (LGBTQ+) individuals who have pursued a professional career in the outdoor recreation industry. Six stories of queer identity in the outdoors were gifted to this study, with the understanding that not all LGBTQ+ individuals experience the outdoors in the same way. Each participant was encouraged to guide the study through individual expression in alignment with an emancipatory critical narrative research design. This study considers participant experiences across the span of their career, where job advancement and the role of colleagues both arose as prominent themes that shed light on the pervasiveness of hegemonic culture in the outdoor recreation profession. Outdoor recreation organizations may learn from these stories to disentangle harmful social norms from curriculum and practices by creating structural pathways for professionals with non-dominant identities, and authentically consider how an organization’s history informs its culture. The findings have important implications for creating inclusive culture in the outdoor recreation profession.