Perry is an avid runner, biker, and backcountry skier who is Avalanche L1 certified. He’s also a lifeguard, a Wilderness First Responder, and the founder of The Venture Out Project, a non-profit organization that brings together queer, trans, and LGBTQ+ youth and adults to create community, develop leadership skills, and gain confidence through the shared experience of outdoor adventure. The Venture Out Project also serves as an educational resource to support schools and organizations in their effort to affirm their LGBTQ+ community members. As an educator, Perry works with colleges, camps, schools, and other institutions to provide comprehensive, progressive education around gender diversity. When not out on some trail, cutting a fresh line through powder, or advocating for gender diversity in the outdoors, Perry can be found at home in western Massachusetts where he’s working with his local community to build a first of its kind, rural transgender health center.

“I think there’s a movement amongst many many diverse people and groups to say let’s make more visible the fact that we have always been in the outdoors. You just haven’t known it. At Venture Out, we use backpacking trips, the outdoors, and our natural world as a space to build community and to work for social and environmental justice. My hope is that by being ourselves, being visible, and advocating for change we impact the outdoor industry enough to make it more safe and affirming and fun for all kinds of people, but especially trans and queer people.”