Press Release

LGBTQ Outdoor Summit returns for second annual meeting

DC_LGBTQ Outdoor Summit logo

LGBTQ Outdoor Summit returns for second annual meeting Oct. 19-21 in San Francisco

WASHINGTON, September 20, 2018 ---- After a sold-out summit held in Seattle last year,  Pride Outside and Out There Adventures  will host the second annual LGBTQ Outdoor Summit on October 19-21 at the NatureBridge campus in San Francisco.

The summit draws a broad range of private sector, public sector and nonprofit professionals in the outdoor recreation, public land management and conservation communities.  The event will feature panel discussions with outdoor recreation industry representatives (REI, The North Face, Merrell, Hipcamp), representatives from five federal land management agencies (National Park Service, Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Services, and NOAA), and youth representatives. 

Silvia Vasquez-Lavado, the first openly gay woman to climb the seven summits (tallest mountains on each continent), and Merrell President Sue Rechner will speak. The event will also offer breakout sessions, caucuses, networking events, a resource fair and outdoor opportunities.

“This is an opportunity for the conservation community and outdoor industry to come together to boost LGBTQ representation and inclusion in the outdoors,” said Hannah Malvin, Founder of Pride Outside and Senior Representative for Partnerships at The Wilderness Society. “This is part of a broader effort to ensure that America’s public lands and treasured places are welcoming to all.”

The location of the summit -- NatureBridge Golden Gate in San Francisco – is ancestral land for the Ohlone and Coastal Miwok. 

Sponsors

The Wilderness Society, Merrell, The North Face, Vasque, National Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club, REI, NOLS, Patagonia, Outward Bound, and National Park Conservation Association, whose support makes this event possible.  

Goals

  • Provide an affirming space to represent the LGBTQ Community's unique barriers, needs and wants as they pertain to getting outside.
  • Offer leaders, organizations and companies the opportunity to come together in creating a common dialogue with the LGBTQ Community and solutions to access issues.
  • To increase engagement of LGBTQ individuals across all facets of the industry.
  • To further the missions of the organizations, agencies and companies already engaged in reducing barriers for the LGBTQ Community to get outside.
  • Engage in more nuanced dialogue that recognizes the vast diversity of experiences and identities within the LGBTQ community.

Registration Information

Registration link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2018-lgbtq-outdoor-summit-tickets-41482999769

Conference website: https://www.lgbtqoutdoorsummit.com

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Contact:

Hannah Malvin, Senior Representative for Partnerships, The Wilderness Society | The Wilderness Society Action Fund, 202-429-3941; hannah_malvin@tws.org


The Wilderness Society, founded in 1935, is the leading conservation organization working to protect wilderness and inspire Americans to care for our wild places. With more than one million members and supporters, The Wilderness Society has led the effort to permanently protect 109 million acres of wilderness and to ensure sound management of our shared national lands. www.wilderness.org