Climber plants trans Pride flag atop Antarctica’s highest peak: ‘Our resilience keeps us rising’
Erin Parisi is attempting to become the first publicly trans person to conquer the 7 Summits - the highest peak on every continent
Words: Jamie Tabberer; picture: Instagram/transending7
The trans Pride flag has been planted on the highest mountain peak in Antarctica.
Climber Erin Parisi, who is trans, erected the flag atop the 4,892m-high Vinson Massif last week, before sharing a picture of her achievement on Instagram this week.
Parisi is hoping to make history as the first trans person to climb the world’s 7 Summits.
“I won’t settle to be pushed into shadows”
In her Instagram post, Parisi said: “I’m dedicating this to the resilience of the trans community – The community that took me in when I had no hope, and showed me that it’s better to be visible and free, than live in self imposed exile, and that stigma withers when we visibly embrace our truth.
View this post on Instagram
“We’ve been pushed down, often even beat up, and faced every kind of coldness through our lives – our resilience keeps us rising to the top. Together we forged thru a 2021 during which the world tried to deny us dignity in healthcare, the right to hold jobs, the right to play sports, perpetuated stigma through comedians and podcasters on the world’s most popular channels, and continued escalating the voices of violence against us. We fought back in a way that shouldn’t have to be a fight: by living our best lives.
“This is my answer to a world that lashed out at trans lives in 2021: you can try to push me to the bottom of the world, and I’ll still find a way to the top. I won’t settle to be pushed into shadows. Aim higher haters… [sic].”
On her 7 Summits GoFundMe page, Parisi explains she is attempting the mountaineering challenge of climbing the highest peak on every continent, withg five of seven now completed.
She is now training for the first known attempt by a publicly trans person of the world’s highest summit, Mt. Everest.
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