Sarah Keller and Taylor Morton join us on Artemis this week to talk about growing a LGBTQ+ community in the hunting and fishing world. Their initiative is called is Queers and Camo. At a time of social unrest on a national scale, we discuss why inclusiveness matters more than ever in our industry, and what that looks like at the ground floor. 

  • 1:30 – Our guests today are Sarah Keller, who you’ll remember from EP 5: Packing Game Out, and Taylor Morton, author of this great Artemis blog Meat on the Table
  • 2:00 – June is Pride month
  • 5:30 – The history of Pride. Riots back then, riots now — and what change comes out of those movements
  • 9:40 – Being queer and being visible in the hunting/conservation space. It started with a longstanding desire to connect with more LGBTQ people who are hunters and outdoors people
  • 11:00 – Queers and Camo — making our community a safe, enjoyable space for everyone, and fomenting important dialogue that helps build that 
  • 15:00 – On being a hunter before coming out — one thing builds on another. These aren’t compartmentalized pieces of self, they’re entwined with each other
  • 15:30 – On Insta, @queersandcamo happy hour forthcoming
  • 16:30 – Growing up around a hunting culture that’s white and male makes you cognizant of race/gender/sexuality and how safe you feel outdoors (or, in grocery stores, walking to your car, etc)
  • 17:30 – How does it affect us when our community doesn’t reflect who we are?
  • 19:45 – On feeling like you need to present a different version of yourself depending on your geography. Those Confederate flags? Not exactly a welcome mat. Being a hunter in California? That can feel funny, too.
  • 21:20 – Outside Online article on being out and gay, and crossing those two worlds: A Queer Hunter Reflects on Coming Out
  • 25:30 – Discrimination takes more forms than using foul language or denying your services
  • 30:00 – Sometimes the outdoors — like a long trek tracking elk — can be a quiet enough space for hard conversations that don’t ordinarily get the space to air, like the difference between gender and sexual orientation
  • 31:30 – On including LGBTQ+ voices in any platform with the public eye – it’s important
  • 34:00 – Why is it important to have a community specifically for LGBTQ hunters/anglers?
  • 38:30 – Hunting traditions are often passed down through families… part of creating a community is giving others access to that infrastructure. Not everyone has a sporting tradition in their family unit, but they might find it in their chosen family
  • 41:30 – Taylor’s piece for Autostraddle called “On the Hunt” and voices from queer women who hunt on a series called “The Outsiders“
  • 45:30 – Resources and online communities: Queer Appalachia, Queer Nature, Pattie Gonia, Unlikely Hikers, The Venture Out Project, The LGBTQ Outdoors Summit, OutSportsman
  • 47:30 – Books: Anything by Audre Lorde, like Zami; Autostraddle REI segment called “The Outsiders“; and just keep up with the news. Read the hate crime stories. Know what’s happening.
  • 54:30 – Find Sarah @sj_keller, and Taylor @_taymo_