A rainbow tutu is not standard running equipment. For Mikah Meyer, it was one way to make sure people noticed who was coming down the road.
The gay adventurer ran 172 miles across Mississippi in February 2021, sometimes wearing the tutu, sometimes an Elvis jumpsuit and sometimes a unicorn onesie.
Now that journey is reaching a new audience through Miss Adventure, a documentary short scheduled for its official world premiere at England’s Kendal Mountain Festival, with screenings on November 20 and 21.
In a new Outsports interview published October 28, Meyer discussed the film and his ambition to bring its message of LGBTQ+ belonging to more viewers.
A deliberately visible journey
The idea began with a question to his social media followers: which state did they consider America’s most homophobic?
They chose Mississippi. That was an informal poll of his followers, rather than an objective ranking of the state or everyone who lives there.
Meyer turned the response into a challenge. He would run across Mississippi while making his identity visible, bringing a gay presence into an outdoor adventure story.
His support crew documented the trip. The resulting film combines the physical journey with a conversation about the experiences LGBTQ+ people carry into places where acceptance can feel uncertain.
His college mentor, Larry Edwards, also appears. Their connection gives the documentary an intergenerational dimension, with both men hoping younger LGBTQ+ people will face an easier path.
Making the representation he missed
Meyer was already experienced at ambitious travel. In 2019, he completed a continuous journey to all 419 U.S. National Park Service sites that existed at the time.
His official trip map records the three-year adventure, which ended at the Lincoln Memorial on April 29, 2019.
As Banff Pride’s screening announcement explains, Meyer grew up watching travel television without seeing someone like himself. His work now helps create that representation for others.
He also founded Outside Safe Space, a symbol people can wear to show LGBTQ+ people they are welcome in outdoor settings.
A community helped make the film
Miss Adventure is co-directed by Meyer and adventure filmmaker James “Q” Martin.
On the film’s official website, Meyer credits donations from viewers with making the project possible, highlighting support from churchgoers who heard him preach or sing and saw his earlier film, Canyon Chorus.
It is a fitting detail for a project about finding connection: audiences helped fund the next story after responding to the one he had already shared.
Banff Pride has announced an early look at the film on November 2, while identifying Kendal later that month as the official world premiere. The Mississippi run itself happened in 2021; the new development is the documentary’s upcoming screenings.
Meyer also hopes to find support for a feature-length version. For now, the short carries a clear invitation to see gay people as part of outdoor adventure — with room for endurance, vulnerability and a little roadside flamboyance.
📷 @mikahmey
For more LGBTQ+ stories, visit B-Gay on YouTube.