Queer Storytelling and Mirroring: Training on Queer Becoming and Belonging
Jun 13th, 2027 - Jun 19th, 2027 | Inyo Mountains - Big Pine, California | Gretchen (Grae) Gerlach, Scott Eberle
“The universe is made of stories, not atoms “
– Mariel Rukeyser
Stories of Queerness, both from human folx and from the more-than-human-world, are emerging; miraculously sprouting hermaphroditic centennial seeds, after long underground germination. We all know the rarity and precariousness of these opportunities, while the other territory of oppression continues to insist that queerness is abnormal. We have a chance to show up, together, in our full spectrum of identities and reflect the queer nature that we all came from.
In Queer Mirroring and Storytelling, we will look to offer safe spaces in both our human circle and in the more-than-human world, so we each may unearth our stories of belonging in diversity, to let them grow into lighthouses for the past, present, and the future.
This is an experiential training, and will request that you “wear two hats”; the hat of a student of Mirroring Storytelling, and your own very personal Queer Being hat! Through this dual perspective, we will cultivate, share, give and receive, the stories of our own queerness, while practicing the Art of Mirroring through a queer lens. And let us not overlook the importance of being immersed in nature throughout this training! The wild lands, and resilient creatures of the high desert will be active teachers and contributors to our stories.
In this training, you will be invited each day to walk alone in the beautiful high desert of the Inyo Mountains, the ancestral and current lands of the Nüümü (Paiute) and Newe (Shoshone) peoples, and then to return to our circle to tell your stories, to listen to others, and to mirror them back to each other. For six days and nights we will be immersed in the Inyo wilds where we will unlearn the lie of separation that has been catastrophically wedged between Humans and Nature. Our walks and the stories that come from them will prove again and again that being Queer Humans is yet another beautiful expression of the cycles and seasons of the natural world.
We who are queer and we who work with queer folx deserve to be well supported in cultivating and tending to our skills of storytelling and deep listening. These are survival skills. Add to them the magical Art of Mirroring, which opens the potentiality for our belonging to lose its borders, to find itself in each other, and to weave human and nature into a seamless territory. Add Queerness to the mix, and this training also becomes a subversive celebration!
Who is this training for:
We welcome all people who identify as Queer- in its multitude of definitions. We acknowledge that words and labels can be challenging. If the word “queer” doesn’t work for you, consider other ways you might name yourself that would include you in the group we’re calling in; transgender, gender-fluid or non-conforming, gender-full and folks who diverge from the “norm”. We also welcome a diversity of many other demographics; BIPOC and white folks, and all ages over 18 years old to this ceremony. We see our diversity as a gift to the whole. Please reach out to the guides if you have any questions about if this offering is for you.
Lost Borders works to keep our offerings accessible to all those who are called, especially those from systematically marginalized communities. We do not turn anyone away due to lack of resources, and scholarships are available.
Program Questions Contact: Gretchen Gerlach via [email protected]
Submit Waitlist form
This program is full; however, you may add your name to the Waitlist by clicking the Waitlist button below.
Submit enrollment form
Please fill out and submit the enrollment form and then pay the program deposit below. Before you pay the deposit, please read deposit section below, all deposits are non-refundable and non-transferable. After your enrollment form is complete, please submit all health and liability forms.
Pay program deposit
Deposits: This deposit signifies your commitment to the program and is deducted from the tuition balance. All deposits are non-refundable and non-transferable. They cover the work of the specific course you signed up for, including all communication involved as well as the fee that guides pay to the school administration for the course accounting.
Additional Deposit: Some programs require a second deposit to help us affirm commitments. Last minute cancellations make it hard to fill openings and incur a loss of income to the School and the guides.
Tuition Balance: Balance of tuition can be paid before or upon arrival. Simply deduct any deposits made from the amount you’ve chosen on the sliding scale.
Additional course details & Materials
We will camp in the high desert of the Inyo Mountains. Big Pine, the closest town located 30 minutes down the mountain. We ask that you arrive by 3 pm on Sunday the 13th of June so that you have time to set up your camp before we officially begin at 5pm. We will finish out training by midday/early afternoon on Saturday the 19th Additional information will be provided upon enrollment. ADDITIONAL FEES: Camping Fee 80 per individual will be collected at the time of the program. We will give a packing list and more preparation details by email.
You will be responsible for bringing your own food and equipment, though we can provide some gear if needed. We ask everyone to come prepared to live self-sufficiently. You will need to bring shelter and clothing suitable for a full range of inclement weather.
All participants must submit the required health questionnaire and liability form.
If you have questions about the enrollment process contact us at [email protected] or call 760-938-3333.
Coming of Age in the Wilderness, A Handbook for Youth by Steven Foster & Meredith Little (included in tuition). Although not required, the video Lost Borders: Coming of Age in the Wilderness by Kim Shelton, skillfully portrays the powerful dimensions of this experience. All publications are available through Lost Borders Press.
We acknowledge that The School of Lost Borders is located in Payahuunadü “land where water flows”, which is the ancestral, historical and contemporary homelands of the Nüümü (Paiute) and Newe (Shoshone) peoples. Our group will gather 13 miles out of a small town called Big Pine, in the remote White-Inyo Mountains (which loosely translates as “the dwelling of a big spirit”.) We recognize how the colonial history of this area, which includes broken treaties, stolen land, and crimes against humanity, still impacts the people of this region and the land they continue to steward. We contribute time, energy and funds to local Indigenous organizations and projects toward the restoring of right relations. Guides will donate a portion of the program profits to the tribe for land use during this program. If participants also wish to donate to tribal organizations, guides can offer recommendations and support.
To learn more about our commitment to regenerative relationships please visit Cultural Relations.
