The Wild Wanderer Spotlight Series highlights the stories of queer adventurers in their own words. We hope that by sharing these underrepresented voices, true diversity and inclusion will begin to make their way into the mainstream.
Wild Wanderer Spotlight: Leona
“I’d like to see more outdoor brands celebrating pride and acknowledging our existence.” – Leona
What are your pronouns?
She/Her
How do you identify?
I am bi. People tell me I am straight or I am a lesbian. I can’t be bothered to explain. I let them wonder.
What outdoor activities are you involved in?
I am into hiking (day hikes and multi-day hikes), kayaking, as well as cycling. I’m trying to do more cycling and running for sure. Too many favourite moments in the outdoors!
In your opinion, what are the most important challenges/issues facing queer people outside?
I didn’t find many queer people in a general outdoor group. Perhaps a lot of people are still concerned about discrimination or feeling uncomfortable interacting with straight people.
As an LGBTQ+ person, if you could change one thing about the outdoor industry, what would it be?
Not sure about making a significant change in the outdoor sector but I think I’d like to see more outdoor brands celebrating pride and acknowledging our existence. The same with being a woman. I wish products the brands make for men would be available in women’s sizes.
Connect with Leona
Follow Leona on Instagram.
See more Wild Wanderer Spotlights. You can follow Wild Wanderer on the organization’s website, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
This article is part of our Trailblazer program.
Backpackers.com Affiliate Policy: This article may contain affiliate links, which help fund our website. When you click on the links to purchase the gear, we get a commission, and this goes a long way to creating guides, gear reviews, and other excellent content.