[pct-l] pct fag

[Matt Geis]

Wow.  It was 10 years ago that one gay hiker had "PCT FAG" on his
person, and people are still talking about it.  I guess that got the
message out there that straight AND gay people alike are out there
hiking the long trails and appreciating nature.

I was on the trail in the same area at the time, and John and I talked
about it later.  I'll let him speak for himself on that topic if he
wants to, but I do remember some ignorant and particularly insensitive
comments by some of the scouts in the area and/or other hikers.
Often, people are freaked out by what they see as different than
themselves, until they realize just how much they do have in common.
Flying a flag like that (almost literally) lets people know -- hey,
that crazy scary image you have about "fags" (insert whatever other
stereotype you like here) is probably exaggerated and unfounded, and
you don't have to look very far to meet one of these people in the
flesh.  (anybody see "Borat", where Borat has an insane idea that Jews
are literally giant fanged monsters in the vein of those from "Where
the Wild Things Are" ?)

As for me, I did my hike when I was 30, with no kids, a fiancee, no
particular religious views (humanist, if anything, but maybe opposed
to organized religion), and some pretty liberal politics.  I met
people who were much younger than me, much older, straight, gay,
parents, single, divorced, married, atheists, VERY engaged with their
faith, liberal, conservative to the point of being hawkish.... and I
found not only common ground with all of them, but also gained an
understanding of who they were in a way that I could appreciate and
value it.  I don't mean an understanding of their differences in a
"hike your own hike" sense (a phrase that some of heard frequently
delivered with enough sarcasm and disapproval that it's real meaning
was "go fuck yourself") -- I mean it in the sense that this common
ground of putting down miles on trail together allowed me to trust
that these other people and I were certainly more alike than
different.

So, if "PCT FAG" still bothers you, my suggestion is go spend some
time on the trail.  Meet a lot of new people.  Get to know them, with
an open mind and heart.