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Visiting Mount Denali: The Importance of a Name, Queer Travel and Indigenous History
No queer travelogue through Alaska would be complete without a visit to Mount Denali, North America’s tallest mountain. Though I didn’t connect with anyone for All the Genders on this stretch, I found comfort traveling here as a queer person and want to share both the awe of the mountain and the layered history behind its name. From ancient Athabascan words to American political drama, Denali’s naming story is a…
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Being Queer in the Mat-Su Valley: “Be Careful Up There”
Just north of Anchorage, Alaska’s Mat-Su Valley and Eagle River are known for stunning landscapes—and a reputation for being less welcoming to LGBTQ+ folks. In this post, I share a tense encounter with a neighbor that reflects some of the hostility queer people still face in these regions. From rainbow flyers being torn down to direct confrontations, it’s clear that visibility work is still deeply needed here. At the same…
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Exploring Anchorage: LGBTQ+ Culture, Wild Nature, and Hidden Gems in Alaska’s Largest City
Anchorage might not be famous for hot dogs or BBQ, but it has its own quiet magic: moose on city trails, queer climbing friends, and even a hidden 20-foot chocolate waterfall behind the airport. In this post, I reflect on my time in Alaska’s biggest city—a place that sometimes feels more like a transitional outpost than a destination, yet still offers a vibrant LGBTQ+ community, stunning natural backdrops, and spontaneous…
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Queer Joy in the Wild: Rainbows over Resurrection Bay, Rainforest BBQs, and a Drag Lumberjack Queen
On a Pride-themed boat cruise through Seward’s Resurrection Bay, a man in shimmering mermaid pants glided gracefully down the cabin, trying to keep his drink steady as sea lions howled in the distance and dance music rose to meet the glacial air. The joy of queerness in all its forms—mermaids, drag lumberjacks, pride fairies, elders, and awkward strangers—drifted through a landscape teeming with orcas, puffins, and waterfalls. This wasn’t just…
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Gun Violence Normalized: My Queer Reflections on Gun Violence from Alaska to Virginia to Texas
After a Pride weekend in Soldotna, Alaska, a tense encounter with armed strangers outside a friend’s home triggers personal reflections on gun culture, safety, and violence across Alaska, Texas, and Virginia—revealing how gun trauma quietly shapes queer lives in America.
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The Fairies Guarding Soldotna Pride: LGBTQ+ Visibility, Protest, and Community
Pride in small-town Alaska is never just a celebration—it’s also a protest and a powerful act of visibility. In the small town of Soldotna, I joined hundreds of LGBTQ+ people and allies for a joyful 1.7-mile march through town. It was beautiful—and at times tense. A local business owner attempted to antagonize Pride attendees, hoping to provoke a reaction. A group of counter-protesters lined the park entrance. But volunteers from…
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Homer, Alaska: A Queer Haven at the End of the Road
Alaska often feels like the biggest small town in the world—and nowhere is that more true than in Homer, a breathtaking coastal village at the southern tip of Alaska’s central road system. On my very first visit, I met a warm-hearted queer ally who became my first friend in Alaska. From that moment, Homer’s incredible scenery and welcoming vibe became a kind of refuge. During my return the following summer…
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Underground Rainbows of SouthEast Alaska: LGBTQ+ Resilience in Remote Towns
In Haines, Alaska—a lush, postcard-perfect town nestled between glacier-fed inlets and dramatic peaks—I was met with surprising resistance. Rainbow flyers for the photo project promoting LGBTQ+ visibility were declined, and the community’s queer presence felt like a whispered secret. Still, even in this small town of 1,600, connection found a way: a hushed tip led me to queer-owned businesses, and later, two transgender women shared stories and photos that felt…
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Queer and Indigenous in Bethel (Mamterilleq): Stories of Visibility, Silence, and Survival on the Edge of Alaska
Bethel, Alaska—a remote Yu’pik-majority town nestled deep in the Yukon Delta—reveals the complexities of queer life at the intersections of culture, colonization, and climate change. In this reflection from “All the Genders” photo project, I share what I learned from queer locals and allies navigating visibility in a place where identity often stays quiet for cultural reasons and possibly for safety. Through fireweed jam-making, gender discussion groups, and storm-watching with…
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Queer Identity on the Road and in the Wilderness: Trucking and Dog Mushing in the Yukon
On my northward journey through the Yukon, I met two remarkable individuals whose lives challenge the typical expectations of queer identity. One is a trucker navigating the harsh, remote roads of the north, while the other is a dog musher immersed in the centuries-old tradition of sled dog racing. Both embody resilience and visibility in professions often thought of as rugged and male-dominated, creating space for queer representation in unexpected…