How D.C.’s Queer Community Finds Joy in Nature

Locals Aisha White, Ashley Jaye Williams and Rex Delafkaran talk community while camping at Greenbelt Park Campground.

The act of taking your community into the woods to explore and navigate a patch of wilderness together — setting up camp, foraging for food, building a fire and sleeping beside one another — is innately intimate. You’re tucked away from the pressures of the world and able to embrace self-expression fully while freeing your inner child and reconnecting with nature in the process. These photos capture friends in the local queer community coming together in nature for a collective experience of joy and exploration. 

Rex Delafkaran. Photo by Mariah Miranda.

Rex Delafkaran

Performance Artist, Fine Artist + Co-owner of but, also

“It is a really special thing to feel the support and connection of the local queer community broadly, but also in our intimate circles. I remember it hitting me not that long ago that I now have such sweet queer friendships and closeness around me in so many ways, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. It is transformative and life-giving.” 

Learn more about Rex Delafkaran at rexdelafkaran.com and but-also.com.

Aisha White. Photo by Mariah Miranda.

Aisha White

Arts Organizer, Deputy Director of Rising Organizers + Creative Operations Director of TILA Studios

“I love seeing queer camping groups. There are some great groups in D.C. who plan accessible trips into nature. You don’t need to buy out REI or be decked out in outdoor gear to get started. My first camping trip was with a friend in college, and we decided to do a three-day hike on the Appalachian Trail. I wore low-top Converse (the knock-off version from Target), my regular school backpack stuffed with ramen and trail mix, and a trash bag holding my sleeping bag tied to my back. We had a great time.”

Learn more about Aisha White at risingorganizers.org and tilastudios.com.

Ashley Jaye Williams. Photo by Mariah Miranda.

Ashley Jaye Williams

Multidisciplinary Artist + Co-founder of Model Mutiny Art Collective

“I really enjoy being out in nature and feeling I am in a flow state. I love just exploring for the sake of getting lost and noticing all the sounds, sights, smells, touch — everything. I think it’s empowering to acknowledge that you are actively part of an ecosystem.”

Learn more about Ashley Jaye Williams at ashleyjayewilliams.com and themodelmutiny.com.

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Mariah Miranda