Out in the Open

Out in the Open is a grassroots nonprofit organization based in Brattleboro, Vermont, dedicated to building power and visibility within rural LGBTQ communities across Northern New England. Operating as a multiracial, majority working-class movement and capacity-building organization, Out in the Open works locally and regionally throughout Vermont and Maine to strengthen LGBTQ communities through strategic organizing and community engagement. The organization provides comprehensive programming and events designed to foster connection, knowledge-sharing, and collective action among rural LGBTQ people who often face geographic isolation and limited access to community resources. Out in the Open operates on core values including anti-racism, intersectionality, and celebration of resistance, recognizing that LGBTQ people bring multiple identities to their work and deserve spaces that honor their whole selves. The organization uses an expansive understanding of LGBTQ identity, welcoming those who identify as Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Same Gender Loving, Asexual, Pansexual, Genderqueer, Nonbinary, Agender, and many others. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit supported by donations, volunteers, and foundation funding, Out in the Open maintains a commitment to joyful, empowering work that transforms economic, social, and political relationships. The organization's team of experienced community organizers and leaders brings decades of experience in rural LGBTQ organizing, environmental justice, racial equity work, and nonprofit leadership to their mission of building a resilient, multi-issue social justice movement.