What It's Like to Thru-Hike the Appalachian Trail as a Transgender Woman

Its important to be a trans ally! @X

As a 33-year-old transgender woman, Lyla “Sugar” Harrod wasn't sure it would be safe for her to hike the Appalachian Trail when she set out in the spring of 2021. She knew she would encounter the same hurdles as every hiker, like staying injury-free and getting into town to resupply. But she was especially worried about facing judgment as a trans woman on the trail.

“The world and how it interacts with me changed the day I came out as trans,” says Harrod.

“I feel like I've worked so hard to be able to present myself authentically,” she says. “Yet on trail I have to put things in boxes sometimes.”

Encountering transphobia and being misgendered were the two biggest concerns Harrod had prior to starting the trail. “And both of those things happened,” she says. “They will happen on every single trail I go on.”

They decided to put their thumbs down, walk past the truck, and wait until they rounded the corner to hail a ride. But it wasn't long before the truck whipped around and rolled up next to the duo.

“They said, ‘Hey, you girls need a ride?' And then they saw my face, and that I was transgender, and said, “Whoa, you're kind of scaring me a bit,'” Harrod recalls. She immediately turned down the ride.

At a time when 46 percent of transgender people in the U.S. have reported being verbally harassed, 47 percent physically attacked, and 47 percent sexually assaulted during their lifetime, Harrod's fears aren't unwarranted. Violence against transgender people is widespread and active. Yet 1.4 million adults identify as transgender, and 12 percent of millennials identify as transgender or gender nonconforming—a significant portion of the U.S. population.

Harrod hopes to see more nonbinary and transgender hikers on long-distance trails in the future. She recommends connecting with other like-minded individuals before hitting the trail. “Make sure you know that you're not the only one out there. Send me a message—I love talking to other trans hikers,” she says. “Seek out other people who have gone through similar experiences.”

daily reminder we support trans rights in this hole you BIPOCs.