Ailish founded Queer Out Here as a way to bring the LGBTQIA+ community together in the great outdoors. After working in government on trans policy, Ailish wanted to do something that addressed the feeling of burn-out that often comes hand-in-hand with system change work, and that felt more tangible for their community. Queer Out Here was created to build a safe space that encourages people to find friendship, have fun and spend time in nature. The hiking group provides LGBTQIA+ people with a chance to get together and feel connected to something positive and joyful.
At University, Ailish found a thriving queer community; a place where they could express themselves, feel safe and have fun. This space was often held on the dance floor - which for decades has been a space for queer people to connect. Ailish wanted to find connection in a different way and create a space that centered self-care and wellbeing.
Ailish looked at their own self-care and realised that for them, spending time outside played an important role in improving their mental health.
“The outdoors can be a place where we slow down and listen to ourselves; as well as being an environment that quite literally improves our physical wellbeing.”
Ailish
Being out in nature made Ailish feel better and more connected to themselves - and they wanted to share this feeling with other people in their community. The first Queer Out Here walk happened just months before the UK went into the first lockdown and was titled ‘Hope for 2020’. Despite obvious setbacks, Queer Out Here has continued to bring people together since that first walk. Ailish hopes it has provided something positive for people to look forward to amidst the backdrop of challenging times, especially for queer people.
Having been lucky enough to have queer friendships throughout their life, even when growing up in a rural Yorkshire town, Ailish is passionate about creating a space where people can make new friends easily and show their authentic selves. Queer Out Here places huge importance on creating friendships between people who can share and validate one another's life experiences. Ailish wants to ensure that everybody that comes on a walk feels a sense of belonging.
“The outdoors can be an exclusive place, geographically, socially and economically. So creating a sense of belonging sometimes means advocating for change in the outdoor industry and in rural spaces.”
Ailish
Ailish uses the voice of Queer Out Here to advocate for change - speaking at outdoor festivals, partnering with outdoor clothing brands and training providers to advocate for the specific inclusion of LGBTQIA+ people in national parks and other outdoor spaces.
Ailish sees Queer Out Here as a way of addressing a unique set of mental health issues that people in the LGBQIA+ community are at a higher risk of experiencing - including facing discrimination in healthcare settings or at work. But there’s another reason Queer Out Here is important - as a way to create community, reduce loneliness and improve collective wellbeing.
In the last year alone, Queer Out Here has hosted 11 outdoor community events from West Yorkshire to Wales, with 15-50 walkers at each event. For Ailish, the future is about reaching even more people in the queer community and continuing to grow their walks across the UK. They hope to continue connecting with other inclusive outdoor groups to build a coalition of underrepresented people enjoying the outdoors together.
Ailish applied to The Multiplier because they wanted to be more intentional about this growth. They believe in thinking about the community in a different way and felt it was important to connect and learn from other community builders across the UK.