Gay Ski Week originated in Aspen, Colorado, and is a week-long ski event for members of the LGBTQ+ community. At the root of Gay Ski Week, lies greater issues of civil rights and political injustice. In 1977, a group of gay locals and tourists visiting Aspen got kicked out of a bar for dancing with each other. This incident turned into a push by Coloradans to secure gay rights protections in Aspen. Since then, it has evolved into a global celebration. Gay Ski Week, at first glance, may seem to only be solving LGBTQ+ marginalization from the sport of skiing, but through research and interviews, I argue that this event has evolved into a leader in guiding all-encompassing inclusivity in skiing. In my podcast, I’ll walk through the history of Gay Ski Week and describe its founding principles, and then transition into what the event has come to be today and how the event is changing the ski world for the better. I’ll then have experts Melissa Temple, President of AspenOUT and Kimberly Kulgia, Executive Producer of Aspen Gay Ski Week weigh in.
Thank you to Melissa Temple and Kimberly Kulgia for participating in two incredible interviews and thank you to Lukas Volk for granting copyright permission on these images!
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