Arts & Entertainment
Getting away from the bars
OUTdoor group finds gay community in nature-based activities
Steve Marker and Joe Palumbo on the Via Ferrata course at Nelson Rocks. (Photo courtesy the couple)
Over the years, I have met many couples at LGBT sporting events and functions. Usually, one is the athlete and the other is a supporter of his or her partners’ athletic endeavors.
The OUTdoor Adventures Group was founded by Baltimore couple, Steve Marker and Joe Palumbo in the summer of 2010. They share a passion for the outdoors.
“We were at a bar one night with a group of friends and wanted to find an opportunity to get together with other gay men that did not involve drinking,” Palumbo says. “Both Steve and I love hiking, camping and being outdoors so the group began with day trips.”
The day trips have included skydiving, rock climbing, white water rafting, Gay Day at Hershey Park and competing in the Warrior Dash and Tough Mudder. They have also made two weekend trips part of their annual activities.
Big Gay Camping is a weekend event held in the fall every year with the group camping in Harpers Ferry the first year and switching to the gay-friendly locale of The Woods in Lehigh, Pa., for the last two years.
“When we first started out, most of the people in the group were from Baltimore,” Palumbo says. “On the last camping trip, we had close to 40 people from Baltimore, D.C., Philadelphia and New York.”
Coming up for the group is the third annual Gay Ski Weekend where the group has reserved a lakefront chalet in Deep Creek, Md. They have already booked close to 30 people for the weekend which will kick off on Jan. 25.
Marker and Palumbo, who met at Gay Pride in Baltimore in 2008, were married in July at Old Stone House in Georgetown. Their honeymoon was an Alaskan cruise which included 55 of their family and friends. Festivities on the ship included a pool party and rock climbing.
Recently, the couple took their adventuring to the extreme level by completing the Via Ferrata course at Nelson Rocks in West Virginia. Via Ferrata systems are relatively new in the United States but have been popular for decades in Europe, where about 300 routes are open to the public.
Via Ferrata means “road with irons” in Italian. The courses have been described by many as a combination of hiking and climbing. Via Ferratas are strongly associated with World War I when the Italians and Austrians were fighting near the Dolomites mountain ranges in Italy. The troops needed a better way to move through the mountainous area.
The modern Via Ferrata is a steel cable that runs along the route and is periodically fixed to the rock. Climbing aids such as iron rungs, pegs, carved steps, ladders and bridges are often found on the courses.
The Nelson Rocks facility is one of about eight in the United States. Marker and Palumbo finished the 3.5-mile course in just over five hours.
“Adventuring has always been a part of our life together,” Marker says. “Whenever we are feeling stress, we find something to do that will take us outdoors.”
You can find the group on Facebook under OUTdoor Adventures Group.
Arts & Entertainment
2026 Most Eligible LGBTQ Singles nominations
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The Freddie’s Follies drag show was held at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va. on Saturday, Jan. 3. Performers included Monet Dupree, Michelle Livigne, Shirley Naytch, Gigi Paris Couture and Shenandoah.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
a&e features
Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
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