Shared Blog | “A Transgender Thru-Hiker’s Reflections” by Aubri Drake

As we often see played out on our social media feeds, the news, and in our lives, conversations on belonging typically inhabits institutions like places of learning and working. Those places, at different levels of progress, continue to need systemic, long-term change by way of policies, procedures, and legislation to advance comprehensive equitable practices, but change is happening! What is often underrepresented in these conversations is the idea of belonging in everyday life, including, for example hobbies, sports, clubs, or other social groups. Living life doesn’t come with its own outlined policy in an HR manual on expectations for inclusion and belonging, advocated by and for people of marginalized groups. Instead, the demand to be treated like you belong comes in the form of experiences shared by the very people who are targeted and made to feel threatened and vulnerable in the first place.

While we focus on the daily work around belonging, Scituate Pride strives to include posts written by our own community members, but also curated from a selection of sources, including blogs and videos from LGBTQIA+ people. In that spirit, read this recent blog post, written by New England-based Thru-Hiker Aubri Drake (they/them). As the warmer months approach, and as you encounter another hiker on the trails, on a hike, or on a walk, consider Aubri’s words, “I hope we can let go of our assumptions, say ‘hi,’ and ask each other who we are, rather than what.”