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: Max and Jaye
“We want equal access and equal opportunities for everyone regardless of skin color, income, proximity to trails, etc.” – Max and Jaye
What are your pronouns?
We both use they/them pronouns.
How do you identify?
We’re non-binary.
What outdoor activities are you involved in?
Our outdoor interests include backpacking, hiking, running/trail running, road biking, and skating!
Tell us about a favorite/memorable outdoor adventure you’ve had:
Our favorite outdoor adventure was our first big Pacific Crest Trail hike together. We sectioned Tehachapi to Cottonwood Lakes in a two-week backpacking trip and made a goal to do one big trip every year from that point on! Right now we’re hiking up the California section of the PCT; we have made our way up to Yosemite. Next summer we’ll be hiking Yosemite to northern Tahoe!
In your opinion, what are the most important challenges/issues facing queer people outside?
We’re both cis- and white-passing, so our challenges are very small compared to other queer people. We’re both trans but Max passes as a man and Jaye passes as a woman, so society looks at us as a straight couple. The one thing we would change in the outdoor industry would be more inclusivity. We want equal access and equal opportunities for everyone regardless of skin color, income, proximity to trails, etc.
Connect with Max and Jaye
Follow Max and Jaye on Instagram.
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