GET TO KNOW US
While we may prefer bonfire chats over virtual introductions, we get that’s not the easiest way to learn more about what we do.
We hope this page will help. We’re glad you’re here.
Who We Are
Learn more about the team behind The Venture Out Project and the amazing instructors, facilitators and experts who make this whole thing possible.
What We Do
We lead backpacking and wilderness trips for the queer and transgender community.
We also conduct transgender inclusion workshops for educators, adventure professionals, summer camps and more!
Overnight Adventures for adults, youth & Families
FROM NOVICE TO ADVANCED
Whether you’re a first timer, experienced adventurer, or somewhere in between, we have something for everyone. See what adventures await you at the link below!
Queer Day Events
COME SEE WHAT WE'RE ABOUT
TVOP Volunteers from Maine to Oregon lead Queer Day Hikes and Outdoor Events. Check out the link below to see if there are adventures in your area.
How We Got Here
The outdoors had always been a place where Perry Cohen found comfort, inspiration and joy. It enabled him to feel proud of what his body could do and where it could take him. As he navigated his own transition, Perry wanted others to feel, even if just for a moment, grateful for their bodies and where they could take them.
In 2014, Perry traded his corporate office for a backpack and a dream. He set out to merge his personal passion and professional aspirations by creating an outdoor adventure outfitter by and for queer people, now known as The Venture Out Project.
The Venture Out Project (TVOP) was founded with the intention of leading a few backpacking trips each year for queer and trans people. As of 2023, The Venture Out Project has grown to be a nationally recognized nonprofit supporting LGBTQ+ community building and challenge-based personal development outdoors, having led over 50 adventures for upwards of 500 LGBTQ+ participants from across the globe.
The project's history can be divided into several key phases:
Foundation (2014)
The Venture Out Project was initially established by Perry Cohen with the aim of making outdoor activities more accessible and welcoming for the LGBTQ+ community. Early activities included camping trips and hiking excursions.
Community Building (2018-2020)
As the organization grew, it started to focus more on building a strong sense of community within the LGBTQ+ outdoor enthusiasts. This involved creating spaces for individuals to connect, share their stories, and support one another along their gender and sexuality journeys.
Local Chapters and Outreach (Ongoing)
The organization has also fostered local chapters and expanded its outreach efforts to make outdoor experiences available to a broader geographic range. This has allowed the project to connect with more individuals and communities.
Growth and Expansion (2014-2018)
The Project gained momentum and began expanding offerings. More outdoor activities such as rock climbing, backpacking, and kayaking were introduced. Additionally, partnerships were formed with outdoor organizations to provide a wider range of experiences.
Diversity and Inclusivity (2020-Present)
In recent years, The Venture Out Project has placed a strong emphasis on diversity and inclusivity, striving to make outdoor spaces more welcoming to all members of the LGBTQ+ community, regardless of their background or identity. It’s worked on addressing issues of accessibility and representation within the outdoor industry.
Skill-Building and Leadership (Ongoing)
The Venture Out Project has increasingly focused on skill-building and leadership development within the LGBTQ+ community and with allied organizations. It offers various programs and workshops to empower individuals and companies alike to form new relationships with ourselves, the outdoors, and our LGBTQ+ friends, family, and neighbors.
The Venture Out Project continues to evolve and adapt to the changing needs and interests of the LGBTQ+ community. While it was initially founded by Perry Cohen, its success and impact have been driven by the collective efforts of many passionate individuals and outdoor enthusiasts dedicated to making the great outdoors a more inclusive and welcoming space for all LGBTQ+ people.
Who We Serve
Queer: We use this as an inclusive term for anyone who self-identifies as queer
Trans and Gender Non-Conforming: Wilderness trips have historically used gender as a term of classification. At TVOP we recognize that for some of us that’s confusing, prohibitive and offensive. We strive to be an inclusive organization and offer trips specifically geared to be inclusive of our trans, queer, non-binary and gender diverse community.
Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual people
Intersex people
Allies and Family Members of the LGBTQ+ community: While we are primarily focused on creating a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community to experience nature, we host a few events each year (such as our Family Campouts) that are ally-inclusive! Keep an eye on our Events page for adventures like these.
Our Vision
The Venture Out Project envisions a world where queer, trans, and LGBTQ+ youth and adults create community, develop leadership skills, and gain confidence through the shared experience of outdoor adventure and physical activity.
Our Mission
To provide education and support that helps schools and organizations affirm their LGBTQ+ community members.
To provide a safe and fun space for queer, trans, and LGBTQ+ people to experience the outdoors.
Our Values
Environmental Stewardship
The natural world is our classroom and our office. As such we believe we are obligated to care for our environment. Our Project is committed to leaving the (natural) world a bit better than we found it.
Challenge as Choice
Adventure learning can be scary and we recognize that we all start from different places. Every Project we undertake is based upon the notion that all participants make a conscious decision to participate and no one will be required to undertake any element that they do not actively choose.
Social Justice
The Venture Out Project believes that we have a responsibility to make our world a more just place. All of our Projects incorporate social justice into the curriculum. “Social justice includes a vision of society that is equitable and all members are physically and psychologically safe and secure." Adams, Bell and Griffin (2007)
Community
We believe that our community is a source of pride and strength. As such it is our duty to cultivate and nourish it.
Diversity & Inclusion
We value the diversity that exists within our own trans* and queer community and believe we can serve as role models to society at large. We embrace and cultivate diversity and are committed to creating programming that is accessible to our diverse communities.
Press
The word is out about Venture Out Project and we've collected it here for you to search and enjoy! If you have media inquiries or want to do a story on us, shoot us an email and we'll be happy to speak with you!
HUCKBERRY
What It’s Like To Venture Out With Perry Cohen
How The Venture Out Project is building a queer and transgender outdoor community one trip at a time
POPSUGAR
Why Making Outdoor Recreation More Inclusive Has Become This Hiker’s Missions
Trying something new can be daunting if you've never seen someone like you do it before — something O'Donnell knows all too well. "One of my dreams is to hike the Appalachian Trail. And one of my biggest struggles with conceptualizing that for myself is 'what am I going to do with my hair?'" they explain. "Representation matters so much."
POPSUGAR
How Reconnecting to Nature Can Help LGBTQ+ People Building Community
The theme of connection with community runs through everything The Venture Out Project does — and doesn't just apply to nature. "Fixing one rung on that ladder is not going to save the whole ecosystem. And I think that it's interesting to look at that and then also look at our own LGBTQ+ community in a very similar way," Seiler explains. "We are one big community, and there are a lot of rungs on that ladder. There's a lot of intersectionality and different experiences based on geographical location and age and ability, et cetera. Fixing one rung on that ladder is not going to protect or guarantee equitability for the whole LGBTQ+ community."
TVOP Film
REI Presents: The Venture Out Project Documentary - Created by Spruce Tone Films and Transwave Films
Venture Out is a story of overcoming odds, the power of resilience, and ultimately, the ever-lasting effects of LGBTQ community building. The Venture Out Project, founded by Perry Cohen, is a non profit organization that brings LGBTQ folks together outdoors on wilderness trips. In sharing Perry’s story, and hearing from the other TVOP participants, we get a glimpse into the healing qualities of nature and life-saving community bonds that are being forged as a result of Perry’s work.
Marmot
The Mountain Club Blog
Those of us who love the outdoors look to wild places as an escape from the chaos of everyday life. We know the feeling of waiting for 5:00 p.m. in our desk chairs so we can head for the mountains and the relief of a service-less cell phone. But for people who are underrepresented or marginalized in the outdoor world, wild spaces can amplify societal pressure instead of providing an escape from it.
Audubon
How You Can Be an Ally Outdoors
Plenty of people support the idea of a diverse, inclusive outdoors, but helping to make that a reality can feel complicated or intimidating. It doesn’t have to be. If you don’t have to consider your identity or fear for your safety while birding, running, thru-hiking, or spending time in nature, you are ideally positioned to be an ally to those who do.
New York Times
How to Celebrate Pride Outside
Yes, there’s the 50th anniversary of Stonewall this summer. But the rainbow flag will also wave proudly in the great outdoors, at a variety of backcountry trips, hikes and tours. Adventure Trips for Adults - The queer-run wilderness education organization, The Venture Out Project, has operated L.G.B.T.Q.-specific backpacking trips around the country for teens, adults and families since 2014.
Nature Perspectives
A Conversation with Oliver Reitz
Oliver Reitz is an Administrative Coordinator & Instructor for the Venture Out Project. Oliver (he/him/his) lives in Western Massachusetts with his partner and their two dogs. He is originally from Indiana, where he spent his youth climbing trees and swimming with catfish. As an adult, Oliver spent years leading LGBTQ organizations and promoting LGBTQ education and advocacy all over Southern Indiana. After moving to Massachusetts in 2014, he got involved with The Venture Out Project from its start and rediscovered his love of the outdoors.
Patagonia
Patagonia Trail Running
A lifelong runner, Perry Cohen runs out the door of his Western Massachusetts home. He founded The Venture Out Project, an organization committed to bringing together the LGBTQ+ Community on wilderness journeys.
Unlikely Hikers
PODCAST 06: PERRY COHEN OF THE VENTURE OUT PROJECT
Perry Cohen (he/him) realized a lifelong dream of combining his love of the outdoors, his commitment to social justice, his own trans & queer identity, and his professional life when he founded The Venture Out Project in 2014. TVOP’s mission is to help create a space for queer, trans, and LGBTQ+ youth and adults to create community, develop leadership skills, and gain confidence through the shared experience of outdoor adventure and physical activity. Perry has extensive wilderness experience, having led multi-day hiking and mountain biking trips in the US and Canada. He is an avid backcountry skier, hiker, biker and runner. In support of Venture Out’s mission to make both outdoor and traditional education settings more affirming of trans and gender diverse folks, Perry also works with colleges, schools, camps, and other organizations to deliver comprehensive and progressive workshops around gender diversity.
Condé Nast Traveler
Innovators: The Venture Out Project’s Perry Cohen Wants Everyone to Feel Safe While Outdoors
Perry Cohen grew up in southern New Hampshire in the 1970s and 1980s, hiking, skiing, camping, and biking. It makes sense, then, that decades later, Cohen would spend most of his time in the natural world, where he feels he belongs—even if the road
The Dirtbag Diaries
“I was working this corporate job, and, every day, I looked out the window and thought, ‘Man, those mountains are so beautiful, I wish I was out there’,” remembers Perry Cohen.
Growing up, Perry was an outdoorsy kid–hiking and cross-country skiing in rural New Hampshire. He was thrilled when, as a teenager, he got to sign up for an Outward Bound course. But the experience left him disappointed. For the first time, he didn’t click with the group....
Sierra Magazine
Amid Freetly was first to take the plunge into the swimming hole below the Big Log Camp Bridge. Soon enough, others peeled off their clothes and joined in.
Jay Crosby, a queer, nonbinary person with breasts, asked if he could swim with his shirt off.
"It's your trip," Perry Cohen said with a nod.
Last September, 12 hikers from six states around the country set out on a four-day journey through Olympic National Park—one in a series of expeditions organized by the Venture Out Project, a nonprofit that takes lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and nonbinary and differently gendered people on wilderness adventures. The group, which Cohen founded, has taken around 300 hikers into the woods since 2015 and has eight trips, plus dozens of day hikes and classes, planned for this year...
Backpacker Magazine
After saying sayonara to a corporate job in leadership development, Perry Cohen established The Venture Out Project, one of the first wilderness guiding companies run by, and for, queer and transgender people, in 2014. Besides leading backpacking trips for LGBTQ+ adults and youth and runs queer and trans inclusivity workshops for corporations, camps, and schools.
Venture Out's 2018 trips include a LGBTQ+ family camping weekend in western Massachusetts, an inclusive queer women's backpacking trip in the Green Mountains, a transmasculine-centered sea-to-summit trek in Acadia, and a trip geared specifically towards queer trans people of color...