At California State Parks Foundation, our Partnership Equity Micro-grants are part of our commitment to aligning with the California Natural Resource Agency’s Outdoors For All strategy. This initiative unites government, community organizations, and Native nations to create a future where all Californians can enjoy and benefit from our state’s outdoor environment. The importance of partnering with community organizations cannot be overstated. These groups have established connections and relationships, lived experiences, and a deep understanding of how meaningful and relevant outdoor experiences can benefit communities that have been systemically and socially excluded from parks and outdoor spaces.
Spotlight on Queer Surf: A Model for Community-Driven Change
Queer Surf is one such community organization that we are partnering with through our Partnership Equity Micro-grants. We are learning from and discussing what is possible when you come together for your community. This grant round is new for California State Parks Foundation. It aims to align with California Natural Resources Agency’s Outdoors for All strategy, help us understand programs that community organizations have created that center their community needs when connecting to parks, and explore how these programs can be scaled or replicated across the state. With these grants, we seek solutions to the problems around equitable access to nature, connecting people and the outdoors, and creating places for nature and people to thrive just a fraction of the social and environmental justice issues that need us to be future forward in our thinking, but which can have a profound impact on communities who have been systemically excluded from the benefits of being outdoors.
Queer Surf is led by former pro surfer Kyla Langen (Ky) and co-director, Nic Brisebois. Ky holds a master’s degree in education, and Nic has a master’s degree in social work, backgrounds that complement each other to fulfill Queer Surf’s mission to “connect queers to their bodies, the ocean, and an inclusive surf community.” Queer Surf achieves this through a variety of programs, including surf lessons, surf camps, personal coaching, and more. Ky brings expertise in education and curriculum-building, while Nic offers a community oriented mental health perspective, coming to the work with deep experience with queer and trans young adults. Nic describes their business partnership as unique, noting “Ky can explain the conditions of the sea and brings the technical knowledge, while I tend to support people’s processing of their barriers, blocks and trauma; it started organically as we recognized and acknowledge community fear and intimidation that have arisen from prior experiences and intergenerational relationships to the ocean; I am really drawn to support participants’ in their own journey of rebuilding of those relationships.”
SWITCH: An Inclusive Celebration in Surfing
On June 15, 2024, Queer Surf held their second annual event, SWITCH: An Exhibition of Non-binary, Transgender, and Queer Surfing, the first and only event of its kind. SWITCH is an expansive, non-traditional community celebration of queer, nonbinary, and trans expression in the waves and on the beach. This exhibition operates within an un-binaried, non-hierarchical framework, welcoming all genders, all boards, and all bodies to participate. It provides a platform for LGBTQ+ wave riders to showcase their talent and express themselves. Attending the event this year and it was clear as soon as you stepped foot on the beach how this event is rooted in joy, excitement, love, and support. The feelings were palpable — and intensified when the announcer asked a participant why they joined the exhibition and the participant enthusiastically yelled, “Here for the cheers and the queers!”
The events and programs Queer Surf offers truly foster a sense of belonging and open new worlds of possibilities to those who have been told they don’t belong or that how they live is unnatural. However, as participants discovered while tide pooling in the “Queer Sea” program, nature is anything but “normal.” From seahorses to starfish and nudibranchs — nature doesn’t confine itself to the binary constructs humans have created. Nic shares insight from a Queer Sea tide pooling event, “I think as science begins to understand nature better and better, we are discovering how so many organisms in the sea change sexes; that is actually what is normal. We get to watch participants have that aha moment where they see their identities reflected in the life of the ocean, which is something they often don’t not get from society.” During these tide pooling events, docents explain the reasons for these changes, whether social or environmental, and participants get it because they can relate. Imagine what the beaches and oceans could offer us, and are offering us, if we embraced the fluidity of nature, of life, and of each other. After all, humans are intrinsically linked to nature, so the fluidity of life is as natural as can be.
The Importance of Grantmaking for Equity in Parks
Politics shape how we live our lives and how parks are created. The history of our parks system, conservation efforts, and decision-making processes in outdoor spaces is deeply intertwined with political forces. In her book, Rise of the American Conservation Movement: Power, Privilege, and Environmental Protection, Dr. Dorceta Taylor examines how conservation and politics are tied to social dynamics such as racism, classism, and gender. Considering this, it’s no surprise that the barriers to accessing parks persists. With anti-trans legislation and rhetoric on the rise, organizations like Queer Surf are crucial in breaking down these barriers and creating safe spaces where queer and trans people to feel welcome in parks. Additionally, we must continue to identify additional actions that expand, strengthen, and grow the movement for equitable access and belonging in outdoor spaces.
Queer Surf's story is a powerful reminder of the impact that inclusive, community-driven initiatives can have in creating welcoming spaces for everyone. By partnering with organizations like Queer Surf, we're not just breaking down barriers to access — we're building a future where every person, regardless of who they are, can find connection, joy, and belonging in California's state parks. This work is about more than just parks; it's about embracing the diversity of life, both in nature and within us. Together, we can continue to create spaces where everyone is seen, valued, and free to explore the wonders of the natural world.
Your support helps ensure that organizations like Queer Surf and countless others can continue creating inclusive, welcoming spaces in California’s state parks. By donating today, you help break down barriers to access, ensuring every Californian can experience the joy and connection that our parks offer. Together, we can make parks a place for everyone to belong.