Emily Zak

AMIE FREETLY WAS THE FIRST to take the plunge into the swimming hole below the Big Log Camp Bridge. Soon enough, others peeled off their clothes and joined in.
Jay Crosby, a queer, nonbinary person with breasts, asked if he could swim with his shirt off.
"It's your trip," Perry Cohen said with a nod.
Last September, 12 hikers from six states around the country set out on a four-day journey through Olympic National Park—one in a series of expeditions organized by the Venture Out Project, a non...

Here are a few barriers that marginalize people have to overcome to experience nature.

How settler-colonial states co-opt gay rights to legitimize occupation

Shiri Eisner sits down for an in-depth conversation with Bitch about the changing nature of bisexual identity and the myths that still persistent about bi people.

Eventually the exterior coverings will wear out and need to be replaced. It’s a good idea to inspect your covers regularly for signs of wear, so you can repair any damage or order a replacement cover before the need is dire. Indications that the fabric is simply wearing out would include pin holes, cracking and weak or broken threads.
Windows
People love the openness and energy that windows can provide, so often they have lots of our fabric windows. The UV resistant removable clear windows ty...

Yurts can stay comfortable year-round, but there’s one problem people who live in cold or wet climates could run into: Moisture. Maybe the windows keep fogging up, the roof experiences condensation, or the air inside feels humid. Mold or mildew might even be a concern.
This is a common problem for some yurts, but it’s not typical for all yurts. For example, yurts made from cotton fabrics are more likely to experience moisture problems in wet environments compared to our yurts. In fact, our yu...

If you live in an area prone to extreme weather conditions, you’re probably wondering how safe you are staying in a yurt during a storm. We know weather is a concern for many yurt owners, and we’ve made sure to engineer a yurt that can withstand extreme weather conditions to comfort your concerns about yurt safety.
In fact, yurts are very resilient structures—especially when upgraded with snow and wind support kits. Their round shape means high winds can flow around the outside, putting less ...

There’s something calming about living in round spaces. Surrounded by curved walls that inspire creativity, the flow is graceful from one area to another. That feeling isn’t new. People have embraced living in round homes for thousands of years.
The Alaskan Inuit still occasionally construct domed igloos, which rely on heavily compacted blocks of snow to create a solid, insulated structure without mortar or supports. Half of Mongolia’s modern population live in yurts, known there as “gers.” T...

This year, Wriply Bennet felt like she was always mourning in a church or attending a vigil with her transgender sisters. August brought a murder a week. So when the self-taught painter and illustrator was invited to participate in an art project celebrating trans lives across the country, she agreed.
“It’s important that we have a voice. I think that it’s time for the media to stop reporting our stories for us and for us to be in control of our stories. I think it’s time for the media to kno...

In the current media climate, writers often must rely on government assistance.
rica Langston went on food stamps after finishing a yearlong teaching fellowship in spring 2014. Twenty hours a week working at a ranch — and 15 hours writing — couldn’t pay the bills for the full-time grad student. Langston, a freelance journalist who was previously a fellow at Audubon and Mother Jones, says she couldn’t have focused on writing without government assistance.
“That upsets a lot of people,” she tel...

Since the beginning, transgender people have been here—often in plain sight. This is the observation of Emmy-nominated filmmaker Rhys Ernst, who recently directed a film series on trans pioneers history has erased.
We‘ve Been Around tells us only a handful of the many stories we all should know, including those of the 1950s gospel singer Little Ax and Marsha P. Johnson, who was instrumental in the gay rights movement in the 1960s. In between producing the hit show Transparent and legions of o...

When we shame those claiming bankruptcy or defaulting on student loans, we opt into a system that that blames poor people for their problems, rather than criticizing the institutions that put them in debt in the first place.

Here are some tools to help you confront workplace bullying without sacrificing self-care.

Yurts can stay comfortable year-round, but there’s one problem people who live in cold or wet climates could run into: Moisture. Maybe the windows keep fogging up, the roof experiences condensation, or the air inside feels humid. Mold or mildew might even be a concern.

If you’re struggling to connect with other like-minded creatives and artists, hosting a local art meetup might be the antidote.