Episode 26: Honoring the Try, The Queerness of Nature and How Everything is Drag with Pattie Gonia

Growing up in Nebraska, Wyn Wiley (he/him) tried to hide his queer identity and some of his more feminine traits. First by playing small and then trying hard to overachieve, often to the detriment of mental health and well-being. After finding his identity as a drag queen specializing in all things outdoors, the transformation into Pattie Gonia (she/her) has come with both a lot of freedom and a lot of learning. In this episode questions about shifting privilege and sharing power are front and center. Now, Pattie refers to herself as a professional homosexual, working in front of the scenes and behind it to work with likeminded outdoor advocates to help co-create a better, more welcoming, more inclusive outdoors. This episode discusses how the queerness in nature brings her joy, how queer youth are bringing hope for the future, “honoring the try” when it comes to allyship and how to keep putting your best foot forward, even when you stumble, and how to do it as often as possible in fabulous heels.