Green Mountain State Update
Camp Outright expansion
The LGBTQ+ youth support and advocacy nonprofit Outright Vermont has officially purchased Camp Sunrise, a 146-acre parcel of lakefront property in Addison and Rutland counties, formerly owned by the Green Mountain Council of the Scouts of America.
The acquisition allows for an expansion of Camp Outright, the nonprofit’s overnight summer camp and the only camp tailored to the needs of LGBTQ+ and allied youth. According to Outright Vermont, the number of campers has doubled from 60 to over 120 since 2021 and more than 100 youth are turned away each year. The group is also interested in outdoor programming for families with children under 13 years old.
“Expansion of Camp Outright is an absolute necessity to support LGBTQ+ and allied youth. The ability to purchase land in Vermont that borders two lakes and already has key camp structures in place is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We’ve planned for this moment and are poised to move forward,” said Outright Executive Director Dana Kaplan in a press release announcing the signing of the purchase and sales agreement back in December.
Reports SevenDaysVT.com, “Outright purchased the $1.4 million property with the help of a $1.3 million grant from the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board and the Vermont Land Trust, as well as donations from foundations and individuals.” Most of the land (some 118 acres, notes the report, will be placed in conservation easement.
Nonbinary runners
For the first time ever, the Vermont CIty Marathon & Relay, RunVermont’s annual event that draws thousands to Burlingtion, offered a nonbinary runners division with a cash prize this year at its May 26 race.
“The creation of the category is huge for folks that identify as nonbinary,” Kae Ravichandrin of Winooski, the first winner of the Nonbinary Division of the 127th Boston Marathon, told NBC-TV 5.
Said Heidi Stumpff, regional president of sponsor M&T bank in a statement, “We’re proud to be the title sponsor of the Vermont City Marathon, and we applaud and support RunVermont’s courageous decision to recognize and reward runners of all identities and backgrounds in such a careful and considerate manner. This inclusive action undoubtedly makes the Vermont City Marathon a premiere athletic competition for runners around the world to compete against the very best.”
Pride Rides takes off
Pride Rides—a bicycle club for LGBTQ+ and allied cyclists—is making cycling more accessible for LGBTQ+ Vermonters in Rutland, Bennington, Montpelier, East Burke, Burlington and beyond.
“One thing that I found as I was getting into cycling was that there wasn’t a lot of representation,” Kristopher Hunt, who hosted the group’s first ride and identifies as transgender, told VT Digger. “I knew, like, assorted other queer people in cycling. It was very spread out and didn’t seem to be a big group here in Vermont.”
After that first ride in 2017, the group has evolved into monthly group rides plus addition rides during the summer. They even do occasional overnight “bikepacking” trips and collaborates with restaurants, businesses and other biking groups across the state, according to the report. They even have some loaner bikes to share with those without wheels.
More: prideridesvt.com or Pride Rides/Facebook
Youth leaders
LGBTQ+ and allied youth ages 19 and under from across Vermont assembled at the State House in late March for Outright Vermont’s annual Leadership Day—held this year over two days.
On the agenda: building youth power through organizing and advocacy skills; crafting and expressing demands for adult accountability; exploring current laws and policies and learning how to take action; discovering how community and self-care builds resiliency; learning about transformative justice; and imagining and building a better future for VT schools.
More: outrightvt.com
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