Celebrating Project Pride

Author: Alex R.

Project Pride Squamish is a community bouldering event open to the 2SLGBTQ+ community and allies. This unique gathering aims to unite climbers in celebration of the sport while emphasizing inclusion and diversity. Now in its second annual anniversary, we spent the day with the organizer Michelle LeBlanc to capture the vibe in a short video.

Michelle has put a huge effort into this event and community sponsors have rallied behind her to make Squamish’s inaugural queer inclusive bouldering event a success. The day isn't just about bouldering, it is a full day, with breakfast, climbing clinics, after-parties, guest speakers and of course a bouldering competition. This event is open to all ages, all bodies and all abilities.

Photo: Kaylan Worsnop

This event stems from a desire to create a sense of community and to help people feel less isolated. Meeting other boulderers and climbers that are also queer and who can relate to the experience of feeling alone allows people to feel comfortable and connected.

We caught up with Michelle after the event to capture her thoughts and the motivation behind Project Pride.

"Recognizing that some people from the 2SLGBTQ+ might need or benefit from climbing in a safe space, Project Pride also aims to act as an opportunity for allies and community members to be part of the conversations with the attendees. The hope is that this facilitates an opportunity for non-queer folks to learn about marginalized communities' experiences in the climbing world, rather than creating more segregation. With the growth in hate crimes and demonstrations against the 2SLGBTQ+ community across the country, there is no better time for allies to show support and listen."

Overall, Michelle thinks that climbers are mostly welcoming humans; at least that’s been her experience. However, when you think about representation and visibility, there is a significant lack of open and ‘out’ 2SLGBTQ+ professional climbers or outdoor mountain athletes in general. Recently some American climbers have stepped up to share their experiences but visibility within a sport like climbing is super important to any minority group because it helps give a deeper sense of belonging.