Chris Beiser

Board Member, AspenOUT

My first exposure to the work of Aspen OUT was by happenstance, on a visit to the Roaring Fork Valley which happened to overlap with the annual Gay Ski Week in Aspen. With only a casual awareness of GSW, my sister (whom I was visiting) decided we should ski at Aspen Mountain for my first time skiing in many years. As it turns out, there was a whiteout blizzard blanketing the mountain. We were forced into a technical tree run for which I was wildly unprepared, and I could feel an overwhelming sense of fear closing in. It felt like I was alone, in the middle of nowhere, with no escape except down through a gauntlet of barely visible obstacles. That fear melted away when I turned to see a trail of LGBTQ members and allies, draped in pride flags, bombing down that same run that terrified me.

I most certainly did not want to be left behind, considering I had no idea where I was. As I followed this train of skiers through the forest, my fear was replaced with surreal confidence. I had a sudden sense of belonging, as though this random group knew me and had been alongside me the whole time. Between the whooping and “yeehaws”, I didn’t even realize we made it to the bottom of the mountain, where my sister was waiting.

In reality, I’m sure this moment felt insignificant to most of those involved. But to me, it was everything. It restored my confidence to achieve what I knew I could, with a group of new but oddly familiar people pushing me through the scariest of turns. This experience reminds me of how critical our community is and continues to be for those who are lost. Having lived most my life in Chicago, I learned the value of a strong community through all those quiet moments of support that helped me figure out who I am.

Since moving to the Roaring Fork Valley in 2020, I’ve seen Aspen OUT foster that same, strong community that was so critical to my coming of age. Beyond the visibility to youth and struggling LGBTQ members, Aspen OUT provides real, accessible events for members to participate in whatever capacity they want. Those opportunities are so important to getting others involved and increasing awareness for those living in the relatively small bubble of mountain life. As a board member of Aspen OUT I’m excited to extend that community reach, to whomever and in whatever capacity they need it. Everyone deserves love, acceptance and community.