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Victoria Sin welcomes guest host Serpentine Assistant Curator, Kostas Stasinopoulos to dive into transformation, queerness, the natural and unnatural, wild, decolonial and submerged perspectives. Together with guests Ama Josephine Budge, Macarena Gómez-Barris and Jack Halberstam they ask: "where does wildness live?" and they collectively explore questions of desire, pleasure, queer resistance and affinity within apocalyptic world making.

Victoria Sin and Kostas Stasinopoulos explore queerness, nature, transformation and desire through this episode following their long collaboration and dialogue together, including a look at Victoria's work And at the pinnacle, the foot of a mountain.

Ama Josephine Budge explores their ongoing research into queer ecology, looking at interspecies relationships, plant sexuality, pleasure and affinity and ways of becoming and surviving.

Where does wildness live? How can we think about decolonisation and queerness together? Jack Halberstam and Macarena Gómez-Barris explore what falls outside the category of the human, decolonial, queer and social ecologies, visions and experiences of apocalypse, as well as Indigenous refusal and outrage and the consequences of extractive capitalism.

Back to Earth is supported by Outset Partners' Grant.

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Artists and thinkers join the dots between queer theory and environmental activism and climate justice.

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Global warming has been a topic in the news for as long as I can remember. Al Gore's climate change documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, winning the Nobel Prize is one of my earliest media memories. Although I may not have understood every part of the film at the time, I took away one big message: Global warming is bad and we have to stop it.

Much in the same vein, when I learned I was gay, I didn't understand all the ins and outs of sexuality. Yet, society taught me that being a boy who likes boys was wrong. The same existential dread I felt around the end of the world due to global warming reared its head again, except this time it wasn't about the whole world, just mine.

My world didn't end when I came out-on the contrary, it expanded. Coming out to friends in high school and then publicly to everyone in college brought me in contact with a whole new world, one I wouldn't have been able to join had it not been for the support I received from my community, people I'd met by getting involved with fighting climate change. While the fight was important to me, before I came out I had been so scared that I was going to be one of those people who loses everything: family, friends, support, and community. I was convinced that my family was going to disown me, throw me onto the street without a dollar or a blanket. The existential dread was akin to the overarching fear I felt about the destruction of the world. I had to find some way to understand myself and move forward. Coming out became one way to do this. Once I was out, I had the ability to show up more fully. So much of the fear I had felt about being queer dissipated. With the shrinking of this fear came the expansion of my hope, which allowed me to turn my gaze outward and see a future for the world.

Learning about concepts like environmental racism and environmental sexism-in other words, the ways that climate change intersects with racism and sexism-helped me understand the ways that oppression is totally experienced. Even though I may be oppressed by virtue of my sexuality, my whiteness protects me from a myriad of injustices present in this country (and the world). My class, as well, is something that protects me. I've never had to worry about not having a place to eat or sleep, and while I'm appreciative of everything my parents have done for me, the differences in class in my community are stark.

Additionally, homelessness is a problem that plagues LGBTQ people and is especially felt by queer youth. According to the True Colors Fund, a nonprofit focusing on LGBTQ youth homelessness, LGBTQ young people are 120% more likely to experience homelessness. According to a report released by the organization in 2015, LGBTQ youth make up around 40% of the homeless population in the United States, with the majority of people being either gay or lesbian, and/or transgender women of color.
You might be asking yourself: Where does climate change fit in to all of this?
First and foremost, it's important to understand that everyone will feel the effects of climate change. It might be felt differently by everyone, it might hit some people more slowly than other people, but everyone will notice a change in the way we live our lives due to the overexertion of our resources. Among the most vulnerable populations for climate change-related phenomena is the population of people without stable housing. Lacking stable housing can look like many different things-your friend who is always couch-surfing, or living in a car, or in a shelter-not just being out on the street. Regardless of the specific circumstances, lacking stable housing is difficult, especially as the climate changes. Though I've been lucky enough to not have to worry about my housing, I know too many people who have only had couches to sleep on. These young people were my friends, whose families would rather cast their child out than accept their sexuality.

Last winter, on the east coast of the United States, we faced one of the coldest winters of the decade. Something that was once extremely rare has become commonplace. The same with heat waves that feel as though they'll never end. Every year since 2015 has become the hottest year on record, and the duration of heat waves keeps increasing. Often, people without stable housing lack the basic necessities to handle extreme weather patterns. As I write this, an extreme heat wave has been hitting North America, causing at least eight (recorded) deaths in the United States and Canada.

Image credit: Queers for the Planet

LGBTQ people are already on the margins of society and that marginalization doubles when we look at queer youth. In shelters, LGBTQ people often face danger, which pushes them more to the streets; meanwhile, LGBTQ-specific homeless shelters often don't receive enough funding to fully support their population. Making a change isn't optional-it's a necessity. In order to protect our community from the disastrous effects of climate change, we need to do more. We can't just stop using plastic straws and recycling. When just 90 corporations are responsible for 66% of carbon emissions, we need to demand more from our governments and from ourselves.

As queer people, our existence is powerful. When we came together from seemingly disparate communities to fight, we created a force united in liberation. We can do the same in the fight against climate change. The time to act is now. There is no Planet B.
Noah Goodwin is a GLAAD Campus Ambassador Alum and graduate of the University of Mary Washington.

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There is no Planet B: Why climate change is an LGBTQ issue

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Global warming has been a topic in the news for as long as I can remember. Al Gore's climate change documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, winning the Nobel Prize is one of my earliest media memories. Although I may not have understood every part of the film at the time, I took away one big message: Global warming is bad and we have to stop it.

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An Episode on Climate Justice & Queer and Trans Liberation

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An Episode on Climate Justice & Queer and Trans Liberation

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In Conversation: Climate Justice & Queer and Trans Liberation - Our Climate Voices

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An Episode on Climate Justice & Queer and Trans Liberation This episode brings together five queer and trans climate justice organizers to talk about how struggles for queer and trans liberation connect with fights for climate justice. From cities across the U.S.

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Women + LGBTQ + People of Color Adapt to Climate Change – Rewind

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Women + LGBTQ + People of Color Adapt to Climate Change – Rewind

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In episode 106, a 'rewind' of episode 76 of America Adapts, Doug Parsons takes a journey with the Freedom to Breath bus tour on location in New Orleans. During his visit, Doug attends a town hall on women and minority groups talking about climate resilience; a visit to Africatown to learn about the legacy of racism and environmental pollution and a visit to a protest community that is also serving as a gateway for refugees fleeing storm events and climate change. Women, tribal members, people of color and members of the LGBT community talk about how climate uniquely impacts them and what steps they are taking to adapt to climate change. It's an exciting episode, with interviews with minority voices on the front lines of climate change. Bonus material, Doug interviews Marc O'Brien of The Determined podcast on the new climate podcast web site they've created to highlight the growing number of climate podcasters!
Donate to America Adapts Listen on Google Podcasts!
Listen to America Adapts on your favorite app here!

Topics covered:

New Material!

Discover the long term legacy of Hurricane Katrina

Does ensuring reproductive rights for women improve their ability to adapt to climate change?

Building resilience of women ensures the entire community is more resilient.

Economic security of women also plays a factor in effective adaptation.

Mental health disorders and the impact of storm events.

Mental health systems are going to have adapt to climate change.

How does New Orleans plan for climate change and sea level rise.

Learn how tribal communities in Louisiana are adapting to climate change.

How native plants play a role in local adaptation.

Transgender people and their unique vulnerability to climate change.

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Women + LGBTQ + People of Color Adapt to Climate Change - Rewind - AMERICA ADAPTS

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In episode 106, a 'rewind' of episode 76 of America Adapts, Doug Parsons takes a journey with the Freedom to Breath bus tour on location in New Orleans.

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Why Queer Liberation Is an Environmental Justice Issue

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Why Queer Liberation Is an Environmental Justice Issue

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By Lisa Pradhan | June 11, 2021

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As the uprisings all around the country remind us, the first Pride march was the anniversary of the Stonewall riot led by Black and Latinx trans and gender non-confirming individuals against police brutality. This rebellion was part of many riots against state-sanctioned raids of LGBTQ+ bars. Even today, for every victory we have that ensures our rights, there are so many people who are not here to celebrate with us, and another right that's being taken away. This is true in the fight for queer liberation, for racial justice, for Indigenous sovereignty, disability justice, and for climate justice.

Indeed, these struggles against oppression are indivisible from each other. "The people who are going to be most impacted by climate change are our people," says Lindi von Mutius, a board member at Out4Sustainability and Sierra Club chief of staff. "They're queer Brown people. They're Brown people. They're queer people. They're poor people. And when you look statistically at who experiences poverty in this country, in the LGBTQ community, it's trans people. Our trans brothers and sisters are going to be the ones excluded from emergency disaster relief. They're the ones who are going to face violence. So asking questions like, 'How is climate change going to hurt our communities specifically?' has become so important."

Any meaningful movement for justice must center the lives and vision of Black trans women and Black trans femmes. The Transgender Law Center says, "We want a world where Black Trans Women & Black Trans Femmes are thriving and leading solutions for social, economic, and political change... Collective liberation requires not just policy & legal change but the shifting of hearts and attitudes about the value of Black trans lives." What changes do we need to make to our power structures for this to be true? What would it feel like for all our communities to uphold this vision?

Once we stop seeing these fights for humanity as separate, we open ourselves up to the possibility of learning from each other in deeper ways. At a recent rally, Dr. Angela Davis said, "If we want an intersectional perspective, the trans community is showing us the way. The trans community has taught us to challenge that which is perceived to be normal. If we can challenge the gender binary, we can challenge prisons."

For queer folks, mass incarceration uniquely affects our communities, as Black and Latinx "queer youth are overrepresented in the juvenile justice system... [and] queer adults are overrepresented in prison and jail." Organizations like TGI Justice Project recognize that the fight for queer survival and freedom must be paired with advocacy and support for incarcerated queers, because those fights are one and the same.

And when you start to recognize that prisons are often built on environmental hazard sites such as coal ash dumps, it becomes very clear that one single issue has many, many layers of oppression. The fight for queer rights is often interwoven with the fight for justice for the earth and its people.

Right now your social media feeds might be returning to normal, but for so many Black queer and trans folks, "normal" includes a litany of injustices that no one should be subject to ⁠- from insecure housing to violence to criminalization to police brutality to medical racism. The most important thing that we can do right now is listen to Black, radical visionaries and keep fighting for justice until all Black Lives Matter.

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Why Queer Liberation Is an Environmental Justice Issue

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As the uprisings all around the country remind us, the first Pride march was the anniversary of the Stonewall riot led by Black and Latinx trans and gender non-confirming individuals against police brutality. This rebellion was part of many riots against state-sanctioned raids of LGBTQ+ bars.

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Is climate change an LGBTQ issue? Let’s find out on this week’s podcast.

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Is climate change an LGBTQ issue? Let’s find out on this week’s podcast.

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By Bil Browning Thursday, May 13, 2021

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The latest episode of the LGBTQ Nation podcast has arrived and we're figuring out whether climate change is an LGBTQ issue.

On this week's episode, host Alex Berg leads a discussion on how queer and trans folks are disproportionately affected by climate change and what we can do to solve it. Alex is joined in conversation by the founder of Our Climate Voices, Aletta Brady, co-director of Seeding Sovereignty Eryn Wise, and Emme Kristi, a consultant on climate justice at Equality Jamaica.
Related: This teen's performance in the passenger seat of his mom's car is worthy of Broadway
Listen below and be sure to subscribe so you get the latest episode as soon as it's available every Thursday. There are multiple ways to subscribe using your favorite service.

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Is climate change an LGBTQ issue? Let's find out on this week's podcast.

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The latest episode of the LGBTQ Nation podcast has arrived and we're figuring out whether climate change is an LGBTQ issue. On this week's episode, host Alex Berg leads a discussion on how queer and trans folks are disproportionately affected by climate change and what we can do to solve it.

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How climate change is affecting the LGBTQIA+ community

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How climate change is affecting the LGBTQIA+ community

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By Anuj Behal | Monday 11 January 2021

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Social stigma, higher unemployment and inadequate safe living spaces makes them more vulnerable to environmental catastrophes

We are at a defining moment when it comes to climate change. Its impacts are global in scope and unparalleled, ranging from changing weather patterns threatening food production to increasing sea levels that heighten the risks of severe flooding.

Today, it would be more complex and expensive to respond to these impacts without drastic intervention.

Climate change is going to affect every one of us on the planet but its effect will not be the same for all.

It affects different people differently on the basis of various factors which are majorly based on social responsibilities, especially cultural and social norms. Most of these social norms are been defined by gender.

Based on the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), it is evident that people who are already most vulnerable and marginalised will experience the greatest impacts of climate change.

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and ally (LGBTQIA+) community is one such group, which, because of its social vulnerability, is a hidden victim of climate change to a wide extent.

LGBTQIA+ individuals are uniquely vulnerable to exclusion, violence and exploitation because of the cumulative impacts of social stigma, discrimination and hatred. The social stigma around the LGBTQIA+ community also makes several social opportunities and infrastructure unavailable to them.

LGBTQ persons are vulnerable to homelessness as they are often forced to leave their homes due to conflict with the family, violence or threats of violence or abuse.

The precarious economic and physical conditions that often affect homeless persons may also lead LGBTQ individuals to choose sex work and begging, despite the risk of criminal prosecution, as a means to meet their basic needs. This further exposes them to hostility and abuse from police and municipal authorities and makes it difficult to access government services.

Property owners often refuse to rent out their property to individuals of this community based on their real or imputed sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). This discrimination pushes them to seek safe living spaces and communities in which they can find support and acceptance.

Living in segregated locations reduces the risk of discrimination and harassment from neighbours and landlords. These new neighborhoods, which may not disturb integrity of living, could lead them to dilapidated conditions where the risk of climate hazards are severe.

Homeless people and those with inadequate housing will be strongly be affected by any natural calamity and also are clear victims of temperature rise and polluted air.

During an interview with International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), a transwoman from Chennai said:

"..With the upcoming monsoons, there will be heavy rains in Chennai and my house will also be flooded, because of which I can't even invite any of my friends from the community to my home. It's very difficult for a transgender person to get a house in the city, to make the house-owners understand. Hence, whatever be the issue, I'll stick with my current house because there's some understanding with its owner."

The unemployment rate among transgender people is thrice that of the general population and even higher for the black transgender people. This puts them at a greater risk of poverty and homelessness.

All of these conditions add up to them being much less equipped to face increasing environmental catastrophes brought about by climate change.

Also, prior to a disaster, members of the LGBTQ community may not have access to the same assets, resources and information as the general population because of potential exclusion, isolation and restricted social networks. This can affect resilience and how a person might experience a climate shock.

The roots of climate change are tied with the roots of multiple oppressions. Climate change raises the hardships of trans and queer people worldwide.

Because of this, we agree that queer liberation must be held up as a core concept of climate justice organising. The queer community has struggled for the longest time for their rights and visibility. Hence, they possess a strong urge to fight and knowledge of climate change.

To achieve safety and justice for the LGBTQIA+ community, climate justice must be realised. And for that, queer liberation must be lifted up in movements that address environmental crises.

Views expressed are the author's own and don't necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth

We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.

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How climate change is affecting the LGBTQIA+ community

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Social stigma, higher unemployment and inadequate safe living spaces makes them more vulnerable to environmental catastrophes

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Youth Climate Activist Jamie Margolin on the intersection of climate justice and LGBTQ

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Youth Climate Activist Jamie Margolin on the intersection of climate justice and LGBTQ

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Youth Climate Activist Jamie Margolin on the intersection of the climate justice and LGBTQ movements

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Queer teen activist fights for climate justice and LGBTQ inclusion

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Queer teen activist fights for climate justice and LGBTQ inclusion

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ABC News | Jun 24, 2020

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Queer teen activist fights for climate justice and LGBTQ inclusion

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there is no planet b: why climate change is an lgbtq issue

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there is no planet b: why climate change is an lgbtq issue

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NOAH GOODWIN, GLAAD CAMPUS AMBASSADOR

MARCH 15, 2019

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Global warming has been a topic in the news for as long as I can remember. Al Gore's climate change documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, winning the Nobel Prize is one of my earliest media memories. Although I may not have understood every part of the film at the time, I took away one big message: Global warming is bad and we have to stop it.

Much in the same vein, when I learned I was gay, I didn't understand all the ins and outs of sexuality. Yet, society taught me that being a boy who likes boys was wrong. The same existential dread I felt around the end of the world due to global warming reared its head again, except this time it wasn't about the whole world, just mine.

My world didn't end when I came out-on the contrary, it expanded. Coming out to friends in high school and then publicly to everyone in college brought me in contact with a whole new world, one I wouldn't have been able to join had it not been for the support I received from my community, people I'd met by getting involved with fighting climate change. While the fight was important to me, before I came out I had been so scared that I was going to be one of those people who loses everything: family, friends, support, and community. I was convinced that my family was going to disown me, throw me onto the street without a dollar or a blanket. The existential dread was akin to the overarching fear I felt about the destruction of the world. I had to find some way to understand myself and move forward. Coming out became one way to do this. Once I was out, I had the ability to show up more fully. So much of the fear I had felt about being queer dissipated. With the shrinking of this fear came the expansion of my hope, which allowed me to turn my gaze outward and see a future for the world.

Learning about concepts like environmental racism and environmental sexism-in other words, the ways that climate change intersects with racism and sexism-helped me understand the ways that oppression is totally experienced. Even though I may be oppressed by virtue of my sexuality, my whiteness protects me from a myriad of injustices present in this country (and the world). My class, as well, is something that protects me. I've never had to worry about not having a place to eat or sleep, and while I'm appreciative of everything my parents have done for me, the differences in class in my community are stark.

Additionally, homelessness is a problem that plagues LGBTQ people and is especially felt by queer youth. According to the True Colors Fund, a nonprofit focusing on LGBTQ youth homelessness, LGBTQ young people are 120% more likely to experience homelessness. According to a report released by the organization in 2015, LGBTQ youth make up around 40% of the homeless population in the United States, with the majority of people being either gay or lesbian, and/or transgender women of color.
You might be asking yourself: Where does climate change fit in to all of this?
First and foremost, it's important to understand that everyone will feel the effects of climate change. It might be felt differently by everyone, it might hit some people more slowly than other people, but everyone will notice a change in the way we live our lives due to the overexertion of our resources. Among the most vulnerable populations for climate change-related phenomena is the population of people without stable housing. Lacking stable housing can look like many different things-your friend who is always couch-surfing, or living in a car, or in a shelter-not just being out on the street. Regardless of the specific circumstances, lacking stable housing is difficult, especially as the climate changes. Though I've been lucky enough to not have to worry about my housing, I know too many people who have only had couches to sleep on. These young people were my friends, whose families would rather cast their child out than accept their sexuality.

Last winter, on the east coast of the United States, we faced one of the coldest winters of the decade. Something that was once extremely rare has become commonplace. The same with heat waves that feel as though they'll never end. Every year since 2015 has become the hottest year on record, and the duration of heat waves keeps increasing. Often, people without stable housing lack the basic necessities to handle extreme weather patterns. As I write this, an extreme heat wave has been hitting North America, causing at least eight (recorded) deaths in the United States and Canada.

Image credit: Queers for the Planet

LGBTQ people are already on the margins of society and that marginalization doubles when we look at queer youth. In shelters, LGBTQ people often face danger, which pushes them more to the streets; meanwhile, LGBTQ-specific homeless shelters often don't receive enough funding to fully support their population. Making a change isn't optional-it's a necessity. In order to protect our community from the disastrous effects of climate change, we need to do more. We can't just stop using plastic straws and recycling. When just 90 corporations are responsible for 66% of carbon emissions, we need to demand more from our governments and from ourselves.

As queer people, our existence is powerful. When we came together from seemingly disparate communities to fight, we created a force united in liberation. We can do the same in the fight against climate change. The time to act is now. There is no Planet B.
Noah Goodwin is a GLAAD Campus Ambassador Alum and graduate of the University of Mary Washington.

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There is no Planet B: Why climate change is an LGBTQ issue

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Global warming has been a topic in the news for as long as I can remember. Al Gore's climate change documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, winning the Nobel Prize is one of my earliest media memories. Although I may not have understood every part of the film at the time, I took away one big message: Global warming is bad and we have to stop it.

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Youth to Power: Your Voice and How to Use It

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Youth to Power: Your Voice and How to Use It

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Jamie Margolin (Author)

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Putting our best book forward

Each Great on Kindle book offers a great reading experience, at a better value than print to keep your wallet happy.

Explore your book, then jump right back to where you left off with Page Flip.

View high quality images that let you zoom in to take a closer look.

Enjoy features only possible in digital - start reading right away, carry your library with you, adjust the font, create shareable notes and highlights, and more.

Discover additional details about the events, people, and places in your book, with Wikipedia integration.

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Youth to Power: Your Voice and How to Use It

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Youth to Power: Your Voice and How to Use It - Kindle edition by Margolin, Jamie, Thunberg, Greta. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Youth to Power: Your Voice and How to Use It.

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Is climate change an LGBTQ issue? Let’s find out on this week’s podcast.

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Is climate change an LGBTQ issue? Let’s find out on this week’s podcast.

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The latest episode of the LGBTQ Nation podcast has arrived and we're figuring out whether climate change is an LGBTQ issue.

On this week's episode, host Alex Berg leads a discussion on how queer and trans folks are disproportionately affected by climate change and what we can do to solve it. Alex is joined in conversation by the founder of Our Climate Voices, Aletta Brady, co-director of Seeding Sovereignty Eryn Wise, and Emme Kristi, a consultant on climate justice at Equality Jamaica.
Related: This teen's performance in the passenger seat of his mom's car is worthy of Broadway
Listen below and be sure to subscribe so you get the latest episode as soon as it's available every Thursday. There are multiple ways to subscribe using your favorite service.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Is climate change an LGBTQ issue? Let's find out on this week's podcast.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The latest episode of the LGBTQ Nation podcast has arrived and we're figuring out whether climate change is an LGBTQ issue. On this week's episode, host Alex Berg leads a discussion on how queer and trans folks are disproportionately affected by climate change and what we can do to solve it.

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by Ellen Bergan, Volunteer Conservation Intern

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Happy LGBTQ Pride Month! Pride Month is a time to celebrate diversity, identity, and the important strides made in LGBTQ rights and equality. Alongside this progress, LGBTQ people have created resounding impacts in conservation and environmental justice. As outdoor spaces have historically been shaped by white, cisgender (non-transgender), and straight bodies, queer environmentalism underscores the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the environment and the efforts in protecting it. In our own celebration of Pride Month, Sycamore recognizes and admires several members of the LGBTQ community, from program analysts to hiking drag queens, in their work to conserve an environment that is welcoming to all.

Mahri Monson

Mahri Monson, an Environmental Protection Specialist for the EPA, describes her work as "enforcing U.S. environmental laws, addressing serious pollution problems to protect communities and the environment." A proponent of green infrastructure, Monson's work strategizes storm management and mitigates sewer overflows, providing environmental and social benefits for communities throughout the country. Monson also worked alongside co-workers to create a policy concerning transgender and gender nonconforming EPA employees, including a guide to transitioning at the EPA and prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity. (Photo by Andrew Propp)

Pattie Gonia

Self-described as the "world's first backpacking queen," drag queen and social media personality Pattie Gonia brings a fresh, fun, and inclusive perspective to the outdoors community. Often captured wearing high heeled boots and dancing atop a mountain, Pattie Gonia carries messages of diversity, outdoor immersion, and environmental advocacy. Pattie Gonia is portrayed by photographer and skier, thru-hiker, and rock climber Wyn Wiley. Wiley sees Pattie Gonia as a way to inspire people, particularly the LGBTQ community, people of color, and fat folks, to immerse themselves in the outdoor spaces from which they have been historically excluded. (Photo at right by Wyn Wiley; top photo by Hannah Shea)

Lindi von Mutius

Lindi von Mutius's work as the Chief of Staff for the Sierra Club involves project management with the organization's Executive Team and being an active voice for staff in organizational priorities and implementation. Previously serving as the Director of Program Management at the Environmental Defense Fund, von Mutius has an extensive background in corporate litigation, conservation ecology, and environmental justice advocacy. Von Mutius additionally is a board member of Out 4 Sustainability, an LGBTQ environmental advocacy nonprofit.

Pınar Sinopoulos-Lloyd

Sinopoulos-Lloyd is the co-founder of Colorado-based Queer Nature, a queer-run nature education and ancestral skills program for the local LGBTQ+ community and allies. Alongside their partner So, Sinopoulous-Lloyd designs and facilitates nature-based workshops and immersions to build naturalist, handcraft, and ancestral skills alongside recognizing colonial and indigenous histories of the land. By creating an empowering space of outdoor belonging, Queer Nature nurtures values of conservation and environmental justice rooted in diversity.

Rikki Weber

Rikki Weber serves as a Sr. Legal Practice Administrator / Litigation Assistant for Earthjustice, the United States' largest nonprofit environmental law organization. As part of her role with Earthjustice, which represents clients free of charge as its enforces and strengthens environmental laws in court, Weber has worked on cases advocating for renewable resources, energy efficiently, and electric vehicles to mitigate pollution emission. Additionally, Weber is involved with realizing the goals of Earthjustice's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Plan.

Kelly Fuller

Kelly Fuller is the Energy and Mining Campaign Director of the Western Watershed Project, a nonprofit environmental conservation group dedicated to protecting and restoring western watersheds and wildlife through education, public policy initiatives, and legal advocacy. With a focus on the impacts energy and mining, Fuller has spearheaded campaigns to preserve public lands and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, notably leading a 78-mile walk across the California Desert in protest of a transmission line project. In addition to her advocacy, Fuller has poignantly written about being an LGBT environmentalist in rural America, including an essay published by Center for Biological Diversity's publication The Revelator.

Jon Stryker

Jon Stryker is the founder and president of the Arcus Foundation, a private philanthropic organization that primarily supports the advancement of LGBTQ rights and great ape conservation efforts. Stryker also serves as a founding board member for the 90,000-acre Ol Pejeta Wildlife Conservancy and is a co-founder of Save the Chimps, the world's largest chimpanzee sanctuary. Stryker has cited "compassion and justice" as the two underlying themes that connect his philanthropic work in both LGBTQ causes and conservation.

Sources

epa.gov/careers/profiles-members-epas-lgbt-community-mahri-monson
outsideonline.com/2363691/pattie-gonia-worlds-first-backpacking-queen
sierraclub.org/press-releases/2017/11/sierra-club-announces-lindi-von-mutius-new-chief-staff
queernature.org
earthjustice.org/about/staff/rikki-weber
autostraddle.com/6-queer-women-literally-saving-the-world-through-environmental-justice-384642
westernwatersheds.org/kelly-fuller
therevelator.org/environmentalist-rural-america-lgbt
synergos.org/news-and-insights/2008/interview-jon-stryker-journey-inclusive-philanthropy
arcusfoundation.org/board-and-staff

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Happy LGBTQ Pride Month! Pride Month is a time to celebrate diversity, identity, and the important strides made in LGBTQ rights and equality. Alongside this progress, LGBTQ people have created resounding impacts in conservation and environmental justice.

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Here at OUT for Sustainability, we are emerging from a year of introspection. We will have updated our mission, and we will be making some changes to our programming. Along the way, you may notice some changes to our website. We thank you for your patience during this process!

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Supportive educators save students' lives. Having just one visibly supportive educator in a school can ensure that LGBTQ students feel safe, welcomed, and encouraged to learn.

Show your support by displaying a Safe Space sticker and poster in your classroom. Learn how to discuss bullying, gender roles, or family diversity with elementary-aged students. Include positive representation of LGBTQ people in your curriculum. Inspire your students of all ages and all identities to be kind, support others, and speak up when they see bullying.

GLSEN's education team has created educator guides for each of our days of action, along with other resources for increasing LGBTQ visibility and affirmation in any curriculum. While GLSEN celebrates these days of action nationally at specific times during the year, all of our lessons, resources, and activities found here can be implemented at any time.

Check out the resources in the sections below for specific guides and tools related to GLSEN programs, days of action and more!

Join the thousands of educators who are helping GLSEN change schools across the country.

As a member of the GLSEN Educator Network, you'll receive emails that highlight GLSEN's resources and provide up-to-date information on GLSEN research. You will also receive current information on LGBTQ events and celebrations to help you plan for and implement a more inclusive curriculum, including direct information and new resources for GLSEN days of action like Solidarity Week.

Register to receive free GSA & school resources.

Join a national movement creating inclusive schools for all.

Educator Guides

Looking for ways to support Solidarity Week or the Day of Silence? Interested in finding ways to bring LGBTQ-visibility into your curriculum? You've come to the right place!

GLSEN's education team has created educator guides for each of our Days of Action, along with other resources for increasing LGBTQ visibility and affirmation into any curriculum. While GLSEN celebrates these Days of Action nationally at specific times throughout the year, the lessons, resources, and activities found here can be implemented at any time.

Check out the resources below for specific guides and tool related to GLSEN programs, days of action and more! Ready to supplement your curriculum? Explore our LGBTQ-Inclusive and Bullying, Bias & Diversity lesson plans.

Educator Guides and Resources

Policy and Advocacy Resources

Lesson Plans

Implementing GLSEN's free lesson plans and resources can help students develop the skills to interact in our diverse world with greater respect, empathy, and understanding.

Incorporate our lessons, found below, to:

Foster respect and understanding

Promote LGBTQ visibility and affirmation

Improve school climate

Build leadership

Encourage ally behavior

Ready for LGBTQ-specific lessons? Explore GLSEN's LGBTQ-inclusive curricular resources.

Teachers can be that figure you look up to. And when they are accepting of you, it means the world to you. To know that you're ok and that they are there for you. - Ximena, 9th grade

When educators are visibly supportive of LGBTQ students, everyone benefits. Through our Chapter-based Professional Development program, GLSEN offers tools and resources to thousands of educators who seek to make their classrooms and schools a safe place for all students. Based on 25+ years of experience and research, GLSEN boasts a robust educator training program with a series of modules curated to cover an array of topics suitable for a diverse range of audiences.

GLSEN research shows that the presence of supportive educators can have a significant positive impact on LGBTQ students' academic achievement, as well as on their psychological well-being and long-term educational aspirations. GLSEN Professional Development aims to empower educators to act in allyship with LGBTQ students.

Our Professional Development Workshops will assist educators in building the following skills:

Knowledge of LGBTQ student experiences in school

Understanding what allyship can provide for LGBTQ students

Awareness of the prevalence of anti-LGBTQ language and behavior in schools

Willingness and ability to intervene when anti-LGBTQ name-calling and bullying occurs

Willingness and ability to utilize curriculum inclusive of LGBTQ people, history and themes

Willingness to advocate for the rights of LGBTQ students and ensure safe schools for all

Access to resources and referral

NOTE: For GLSEN Professional Development Workshops, the term "educator" includes, but is not limited to: Current or future K-12 Teachers, Administrators, Counselors, Paraprofessionals, Librarians, Nurses, Bus Drivers, District Staff, School Resource Officers, Cafeteria Workers, etc
To bring GLSEN Professional Development to your school, please fill out the following form.

Safe Space Kit

Educators like you can make a big difference for LGBTQ students. Just one gesture can change a student's life for the better: Put up a Safe Space Sticker in your classroom to start a conversation about acceptance and affirming LGBTQ identity.

GLSEN's Safe Space Kit provides you with practical ways to transform your school into a safer space for everyone, particularly LGBTQ students, by supporting and educating students, sharing your knowledge with other educators and advocating for school-wide changes. The Safe Space Kit not only guides you through making an assessment of your school's climate and recommends affirming policies and best practices, but also outlines strategies that you may use to advocate for change, including posting a Safe Space Sticker or Safe Space Poster in your classroom or office. You can purchase them in the GLSEN Shop, or download digital copies for free here.

GLSEN Chapters also offer professional development opportunities that include our Safe Space Kit and support educators in creating safer and more affirming learning environments.

Rainbow Library

The Rainbow Library is a GLSEN program that sends LGBTQ+ affirming text sets to schools across the country - for free.

Any full-time staff member at a K-12 school in a participating state or county is welcome to request a Rainbow Library. All types of K-12 schools are eligible: district, magnet, charter, and independent. Each school that applies will be eligible for one Rainbow Library text set, and sets are provided on a first-come, first served basis.

Founded 25 years ago, GLSEN is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe and affirming schools for LGBTQ students. GLSEN has volunteer-run chapters in 31 states.

School Year Calendar

The school year is full of opportunities to participate in GLSEN events, address LGBTQ and social justice issues, learn about diverse communities, and take action to create safer and more affirming schools for all.

Use this calendar to schedule your GSA meetings, lesson plans, student events, and staff development workshops, and as part of your ongoing diversity, equity, and LGBTQ-inclusion efforts. Follow us @GLSEN on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram where we'll be sharing related resources and lesson plans for these events throughout the year.

Misgendering, Gender Terminology & Pronouns

Misgendering hurts. Support educators by teaching students how to respect each others' pronouns and bringing awareness to a wider range of gender terminology.

As a class and in small groups, students watch a video about pronouns, have a conversation about pronouns, and discuss misgendering. As a class, students discuss ways to combat misgendering and how they can make sure the gender pronouns of all students are respected.

For all of us, learning an LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum can help us better understand our world and our differences. For LGBTQ students in particular, it can mean feeling safer at school and hearing homophobic and transphobic remarks less frequently, according to GLSEN research. Looking back at history is the easiest way to get LGBTQ-inclusivity into any curriculum. That's why we're sharing our resources below, which include an interactive timeline and coloring book as well as many other classroom resources suitable for a range of students ages K-12.

Recognizing these benefits, former GLSEN Chapter leader Rodney Wilson, with the support of GLSEN's founder Kevin Jennings and many others, founded LGBTQ History Month in October 1994. While you can use these resources every October, they're perfect for use all year, so that students see the benefits year round.

A great resource you can use to learn and teach about LGBTQ history is Making Gay History, the critically acclaimed and award-winning podcast that brings LGBTQ history to life through the voices of the people who lived it. Listen to the podcasts below to hear about the lives and legacies of Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, who were participants in the New York Stonewall riots in 1969.

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Supportive educators save students' lives. Having just one visibly supportive educator in a school can ensure that LGBTQ students feel safe, welcomed, and encouraged to learn. Show your support by displaying a Safe Space sticker and poster in your classroom. Learn how to discuss bullying, gender roles, or family diversity with elementary-aged students.

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"My issues stemmed from Lyme disease, which is becoming more prevalent in the United States because we have longer and hotter days, which means ticks live longer. More and more people are going to end up getting Lyme disease in their lifetime.

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Queer Ecojustice Project organizes media and education at the intersection of ecological justice and queer liberation.

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Black Lives Matter.
The Venture Out Project stands in support and solidarity with the Black community and with Black Lives Matter movement.
All of us at The Venture Out Project acknowledge that the work towards Racial Justice and Equity is never finished.

We recognize and believe that this work must be ongoing and that we have so much yet to do. We understand that in order to make change, we must take action daily. We are committed to this work.

We lead backpacking and wilderness trips for the queer and transgender community.
We also conduct transgender inclusion workshops for educators, adventure professionals, summer camps and more!

Overnight Adventures for adults, youth & Families

FROM NOVICE TO ADVANCED
Whether you're a first timer, experienced adventurer, or somewhere in between, we have something for everyone. See what adventures await you at the link below!

Queer Day Hikes

COME SEE WHAT WE'RE ABOUT
TVOP Volunteers from Maine to Oregon lead Queer Day Hikes. Check out the link below to see if there are hikes in your area.

REI x The Venture Out Project

We've partnered with the great people at REI to keep you decked out in the latest and greatest outdoor recreational gear. Purchasing REI gear through the link below helps The Venture Out Project continue our mission of providing outdoor wilderness programming and recreation for LGBTQ+ youth and adults.

Shop REI by clicking the link and make a difference! It's that simple.

Our educational programs provide you with the knowledge, awareness, and skills to create trans-inclusive and affirming communities. We work with colleges (especially trip leaders), middle and high schools, camps, and other youth-serving organizations to increase their capacities to serve the trans community. Our workshops cover a range of topics from vocabulary, to creating trans-inclusive policies and forms, to navigating single-sex spaces, to what it means to be trans-inclusive and affirming in your daily interactions, and more.

2019

"This was the trip of a lifetime for me. I felt comfortable and at ease as a queer/bi/genderqueer in their late 40's. I never feel comfortable at "Gay & Lesbian" events/trips/gatherings. It felt like coming home."

-Arctic Adventure Participant

Learn more about the team behind The Venture Out Project and the amazing instructors, facilitators and experts who make this whole thing possible.

The Venture Out Project has something for everyone, whether you're new to the outdoors or a seasoned veteran of the outdoors or you're interested in education opportunities for your company or organization, we've got you covered.

SIGN UP FOR A TRIP
See what trips we offer and sign up to participate! We have something forever one and more.

CUSTOM TRIPS AND PROGRAMMING
Don't see what you're looking for? We offer custom tailored trips and educational programs to meet your needs.

MAKE A DONATION
We offer full paid scholarships to individuals and families who would otherwise not be able to participate due to financial restrictions. Help us fund them by contributing today.

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Black Lives Matter. The Venture Out Project stands in support and solidarity with the Black community and with Black Lives Matter movement. All of us at The Venture Out Project acknowledge that the work towards Racial Justice and Equity is never finished.

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Climate change is an LGBTQ+, and it’s it’s yours too

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Climate change is an LGBTQ+, and it’s it’s yours too

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Climate change is going to affect every one of us on the planet but its effect will not be the same for all, and that is why we all need to put in effort to help stop it, if not for yourself do it for others.