Meet your chapter

Gay and Lesbian Sierrans

The mission of the GLS is to foster the purposes of the Sierra Club by making available a wide range of events for gays, lesbians, and their friends. These include a weekly evening hike in Griffith Park, ski trips, and a New Year's trip hiking in and out of the Grand Canyon, which was organized by two founding members, Susan Lucille and Steve Green.

The section was founded in 1987 and currently has about 250 members.

photo: Susan Lucille GLS members enjoy the Pisgah Lava Tubes in Mojave National Preserve.

'One of the best things about GLS is that we have both men and women participating, which really adds to the family feeling,' said membership chair Mike Brostoff. 'Many gay and lesbian groups are segregated by sex, but GLS is well integrated. Many friendships have formed that transcended the group.'

Brostoff leads an annual 30-mile hike in the San Gabriel Mountains every year on the longest day of the year (June 21 this year), and the group has a presence every year at Long Beach Pride.

Last year, GLS lost one of its most beloved members, Cookie Matson. Matson had been involved in GLS for about 10 years. She regularly led car camps to a wide variety of locations, which attracted a devoted following of 20-40 members.

GLS publishes a newsletter, Tracks, six times a year, which includes calls to action as well as information about upcoming hikes and events. The section has also been active in donations to the Chapter, and has conducted a number of letter-writing campaigns, Brostoff said.

The section meets the second Tuesday of every odd month. Brostoff notes that GLS is actively seeking new members. Members receive the newsletter and a monthly list of activities. To join call Brostoff at 818-763-5799 or chairperson Grace Hengst at 323-227-6444.

How to

Join GLS Wednesdays at 7pm for a moderate five-mile hike to Mt. Hollywood. Meet by the vending machines at the Griffith Park Headquarters/Visitors Center on Crystal Springs Road. Return by approximately 9:30pm. Exit I-5 at Los Feliz and go west. Turn north on Griffith Park Dr. Pass the first stop sign. The second stop sign is at the ranger station. Turn right into the parking lot. Well-behaved dogs welcome-bring extra water and leash.

-Janis Hashe