At Arc’teryx, we believe that the mountains are more than just geography — they’re where we play, grow, and connect with ourselves, each other, and the world around us.
We’re proud to spotlight Queers on The Rocks, a community of queer, trans, GNC, and non-binary rock climbers in the Chicagoland area that facilitates opportunities for queers to create their own communities around climbing and the outdoors.
We connected with group leader and community organizer, Matt Moy (he/they) to learn more.
We’re very proud of facilitating opportunities for queers to create their own communities around climbing and the outdoors. It is so exciting to encourage people to make new friends and learn about what their bodies are capable of. Seeing people relax to be authentically themselves to grow and reach goals is so inspiring. I absolutely love seeing people get their wins.
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More intentional community building and support. We want to empower people to teach each other skills needed to be good stewards of the environment and climbing. This involves hosting workshops at our meetups, creating small groups at our events, partnering with other climbing/outdoor groups, and/or having smaller meetups at gyms run by our community members. We are a constantly growing and evolving group, and love to move in ways directed by any feedback we receive!
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The outdoors can improve the health, well-being, and resilience of communities. It is a fundamental human right to have that freedom of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. This is especially true for those that are already marginalized every day. There is privilege in access to all the benefits of the outdoors that everyone should have because not only are we all a part of a larger community – helping others helps ourselves.
It can start with (but not end with) education with a constantly open mind. Like the environment we are all trying to enjoy and are a part of, we need to be constantly learning and growing – and then turn that knowledge into simple, small actions that can add up.
 Easy steps such as amplifying voices – stepping aside to letting others use your podium can make a difference.Small efforts such as supporting diverse outdoor organizations through your financial resources, time, or skills to help further their mission will impact greatly.You can take it a step further through mentorship and intentional inclusion (as opposed to inclusion as an afterthought). We can all actively involve and value diverse perspectives in decision-making processes. This helps to create those inclusive spaces. Remember that our differences make us stronger, so celebrate them, incorporate them, and support them in any way you can. We can do more than one thing at a time; we can learn and create those inclusive outdoor spaces at the same time. Understand your privilege and use it for others. Privilege is not a thing to feel guilty for. It is a representation of how much and in what ways we can help others.
Reach out and see how you can volunteer! Follow us @queersontherocks or email us at qotr.chicago@gmail.com. There’s a lot to be said for helping with logistics, spreading your knowledge and connecting with other organizations. Nature is queer and constantly evolving as are we. Climbing deepens the reciprocal relationships with ourselves, each other, and the land.
