Gay Climbers Converge on the New

Aww...thanks guys. Shawn, someday I will be visiting Colorado. I will let you know, and we can get lunch or go for a climb. We can then debate face to face. Jon, if you're up for it, we can get together next time I'm down in Tucson. I usually head down there in December to visit my family, and I'm always game for some climbing.

Shawn Mitchell wrote:Bobby's posts are among the most substantive, supported, and measured on MP. Which infuriates me because we usually disagree.

(Laughing. Nodding head.)

Bobby Hanson wrote:Aww...thanks guys. Shawn, someday I will be visiting Colorado. I will let you know, and we can get lunch or go for a climb. We can then debate face to face. Jon, if you're up for it, we can get together next time I'm down in Tucson. I usually head down there in December to visit my family, and I'm always game for some climbing.

Shawn and Jon: Just don't let him join your friendly game of pool - he'll whoop your a$$es! ;)

Bobby Hanson wrote:Aww...thanks guys. Shawn, someday I will be visiting Colorado. I will let you know, and we can get lunch or go for a climb. We can then debate face to face. Jon, if you're up for it, we can get together next time I'm down in Tucson. I usually head down there in December to visit my family, and I'm always game for some climbing.

absolutely. :)

I'm all for the love of the Af-eurasian'tino's everywhere in America. Let's join hands across America and sing now.

matt davies wrote:Were the straight participants alpine climbers? Regardless, sounds like they all had a good time.

Whether or not you were joking, this reminds me of the Andrew Bisharat e-blast that got posted on MP for containing the line "haughty alpinists and their unrealized homosexual tendencies." But honestly, judgments aside, should anyone care? If gay climbers want to climb together, why should everyone else pick them apart for it? Come on folks.

Yes, it was a joke, and I made the joke with that piece in mind.
I apologize if I offended you, or alpine climbers.

@ David Swink: We do love climbing with our straight friends and we had a quite a few on this trip.

@ camhead: Glad you could climb with us on Sunday! I was at the Coliseum on Saturday working on Tobacco Road ... beautiful area!

@ Jon Ruland: You hit the nail on the head ... we all tend to gravitate towards those who are "like us" and while being gay would have no direct relation to climbing, it certainly is empowering to climb with others in the LGBT community. It helps us move past the preconceptions that are typically placed on an underrepresented group. We've had a few members on the verge of tears, because they never thought they'd find people "like them" in the climbing community.

On the whole, most people are extremely supportive when they meet us, and usually the people who are a bit taken aback warm up to us pretty quickly. I'd encourage anyone here on MP, gay, lesbian, straight or whatever, to join us for our next trip, where some of us will be in Rumney for Labor Day weekend. You can find info on us at homoclimbtastic.com. The group is on facebook: facebook.com/group.php?gid=….

Jon M wrote:@ David Swink: We do love climbing with our straight friends and we had a quite a few on this trip. @ camhead: Glad you could climb with us on Sunday! I was at the Coliseum on Saturday working on Tobacco Road ... beautiful area! @ Jon Ruland: You hit the nail on the head ... we all tend to gravitate towards those who are "like us" and while being gay would have no direct relation to climbing, it certainly is empowering to climb with others in the LGBT community. It helps us move past the preconceptions that are typically placed on an underrepresented group. We've had a few members on the verge of tears, because they never thought they'd find people "like them" in the climbing community. On the whole, most people are extremely supportive when they meet us, and usually the people who are a bit taken aback warm up to us pretty quickly. I'd encourage anyone here on MP, gay, lesbian, straight or whatever, to join us for our next trip, where some of us will be in Rumney for Labor Day weekend. You can find info on us at homoclimbtastic.com. The group is on facebook: facebook.com/group.php?gid=….

glad i got it right and didn't misrepresent your viewpoint. i think most people who are not immediately supportive of your group feel that another viewpoint is being forced upon them, when in reality you are simply being very open and public because you want to inspire your members.

climb on!