Why do we support the LGBTQ++ community?
Aside from the fact that our owner, Lizzy Scully, is queer and proud of it, we are living in a time where this community, especially transgendered folks, are under attack. Our president and his zealous religious allies would erase trans folks from our country.
But trans and queer folk have been around forever… they “have existed throughout history and across diverse cultures, often fulfilling important social and spiritual roles. While the concept of gender as a binary is relatively recent, many societies have recognized and even celebrated individuals who express their gender in ways that differ from their assigned sex at birth.” (Ai summary from Google).
In fact, 10% of all humans are queer (1% trans and 9% LGBQ++). That means there are currently 806 MILLION queer folk in the world. That’s a heck of a lot of people.
Doubters, religious purists, etc, can deny this fact all they want. But at Four Corners Guides we won’t deny it. Instead we celebrate it. We celebrate diversity, equity and inclusion.
WHY DO WE CELEBRATE DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION?
Because every single person in this world contributes something beautiful and valuable in their own way–whether they are a radical conservative or a radical liberal or anything and everything in between. As the Dalai Lama says… while negative emotions and actions exist, the fundamental nature of humanity is kind and gentle.
People are good. And we believe this. OK yeah, so of course there are narcissists and psychopaths. AND there are many people who do terrible things. There are angry, greedy, and clueless people (like Senator Mike Lee who is currently trying to sell off OUR public lands).
But why do these people do these things? Generally because they are in pain. Because they have suffered trauma. And maybe their parents also suffered trauma. Maybe they don’t have enough money to pay their bills, or they live paycheck to paycheck, or they’re captured and consumed by communities of angry people online because they don’t feel included anywhere else. Maybe they are lonely, sad, depressed… Whatever it is, IT IS NOT WHO THEY ARE. It is simply what they are doing.
When people are happy and free from suffering they DO kind things for other; they act better. Happy, loving, fulfilled people don’t want to kill or hurt others. People who have enough and who live dignified lives with good jobs, good education, a safe and happy home for their children… those people aren’t so angry they want to erase the existence of others. So our goal is to encourage more happiness in the world.
And how can we do that? Well, we are starting with the community currently under heavy attack—queer folk. We want to reaffirm their right to belong. We want them to know we care about them deeply. Trans people, lesbians, gay men, other-gendered humans, drag kinds/queens, bisexuals… they are our sisters, brothers, non-gendered siblings. We actively and loudly support them! They will not be erased on our watch.
And how can we support them? By providing them with opportunities to feel valued, build community and do something fun in an outdoor setting. So, working with Alpacka Raft and the Armida Huerta Adventure Fund, which Lizzy and Tami Graham started in honor of Tami’s long-time partner, Armida, who died March 2024, we are providing free courses and scholarships for people in this community.
HOW CAN WE SUPPORT YOU?
If you are queer and want to join our fall Packrafting-backpacking course, please apply for a scholarship.
If you don’t mind paying in full and having that money, after costs, go directly back to the Armida Huerta Adventure Fund, register today.
And, if you are an angry, unhappy, lonely individual (such as an Incel, Proud Boy, etc) and you are looking for a different, happier, more accepting community AND you cannot imagine being able to afford one of our courses, send us an email. We’ll work on getting you into a course as well. Packrafting is fun. It’s hard not to smile and enjoy yourself while doing it.