LGBTQIA+

As a nonbinary customer wanders through aisles of backpacks, hiking boots, tents, and camping supplies in an outdoor gear shop, they come to the racks of gendered clothing: men’s in one corner, women’s in another. But what happens if this particular customer doesn’t identify as ...read more

The National Outdoor Leadership School this fall is launching seven new courses for people of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community, with more courses rolling out next year. The school recently worked with a Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) consulting firm to ...read more

Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at snewsedit@aimmedia.com This year's national fireworks show has sparked controversy: President Donald Trump siphoned $2.5 million out of National Park fees to cover the cost of the ...read more

Meet the future of the outdoor industry. These four are already pushing the boundaries of representation, inclusivity, creativity, and gear, and we can't wait to see what they accomplish next. 1. Art Latasha Dunston, 26, freelance illustrator  @jitterbug_art Baltimore-born ...read more

Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at snewsedit@aimmedia.com Enrollment for the fifth class of the Skip Yowell Future Leadership Academy is open. The six-month immersive program is designed to help prepare the next wave of ...read more

“Coming out is a huge life moment and can be one of the scariest things ever. I cried for 30 minutes….As an outdoor leader, your job is not to give advice on someone’s identity—it’s to help them feel comfortable in the space. Treat them the same as you treat everyone else,” said ...read more

When you walk into most outdoor retailer shops, you see men’s and women’s sportswear sections, men’s and women’s footwear walls, pack walls divided by gender and men’s and women’s accessories. As a cis woman, (a person whose gender identity consistently matches the gender they ...read more

Pro photographer Wyn Wiley brought a lot more than a camera to his first appearance at Outdoor Retailer. The six-foot-plus, Lincoln, Nebraska-based creative also arrived with a signature pair of white, knee-length patent leather platform boots with six-inch ...read more

Over the past couple years, it’s been encouraging to see brands and organizations elevating their messaging and efforts around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the outdoors. While there’s evidence of change – products that meet the needs of many communities and ...read more

If Outdoor Retailer Summer Market's event lineup was any indication, the outdoor industry is putting diversity issues front and center. From a lack of ethnic diversity in leadership positions and brand marketing to cultural appropriation of native designs and symbols, our ...read more

When journalist James Edward Mills, 51, attended his first Outdoor Retailer show in 1992 he was surrounded by thousands of people yet he felt utterly alone. Like many walking the aisles, Mills shared the same love of the outdoors that they did. But he was also very different ...read more