Celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride Month in the Watershed
By Olivia Le Warn, Engagement Coordinator, Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed
June 1, 2020, marked the first day of Pride Month, which celebrates the everyone in the LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Plus) community. The month also honors the 51st anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, which saw members of the LGBTQ community fight back against harassment from the police in Greenwich Village in June 1969. June 2020 is the 50th anniversary of the first Pride March held in the United States, which was held one year after the Stonewall Uprising. This year’s Pride Month will certainly look different than those in years past, but even without the usual festivities the month remains a time to recognize the importance that LGBTQ+ individuals have in history and the ongoing fight for equal rights.
The original rainbow flag that was designed as a symbol of pride for the LGBTQ+ community by Gilbert Baker in 1978 gives meaning to each color stripes, with yellow meaning sunlight and green for nature. This connection to nature has persisted within the community to this day, with many LBGTQ+ folks being highly engaged with outdoor recreation and environmental issues. As seen in the North American Camping Report, same sex couples are 8 times more likely to engage in camping when compared to the United States overall. A Harris Poll found that 55% of LGBTQ+ adults self-report as caring a lot about green issues, 48% consider the environment when shopping, 45% highly value a political candidate’s stance on environmental issues, and 40% encourage others to be more environmentally friendly.
Even with these elevated positive attitudes towards environmentalism, LGBTQ+ people can feel alienated in outdoor spaces. Whether it is feeling as though they cannot talk about their significant other without being judged, other people in outdoor spaces not using the correct pronouns, or not seeing themselves represented in promotional materials, some feel as though outdoor groups are not welcoming towards them based on their identity. These feelings of alienation can be further compounded when a person has many identities that are not prominent in the environmental movement alongside being LGBTQ+, such as being BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Color), or disabled. For groups that are accustomed to being excluded it is especially important to show that organizations and activities value and respect their involvement.
This rendition of the Pride Flag was created by Daniel Quasar to emphasize the importance of Black, Brown, and Transgender voices in the LGBTQ+ Community.
When LGBTQ+ people feel as though they need to hide parts of themselves or that they are not accepted, they cannot fully immerse themselves in the experience. This in turn prevents them from gaining all the benefits that being in nature has been shown to provide, especially regarding mental health. LGBTQ+ individuals are three times more likely to experience major depression or generalized anxiety due to “minority stress.” Minority stress is a term used to describe chronic stress levels that come from being a part of a marginalized group. For LGBTQ+ individuals this stress can come from social stigma, discrimination, harassment, or family rejection, among many others.
There are many actions that environmental organizations can take to create an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere for LBGTQ+ folks to reduce the harms of minority stress and ensure that everyone has access to the benefits of nature. Show LGBTQ+ people in marketing or promotional materials to reinforce that your organization supports the LGBTQ+ community and welcomes members to participate in programs. Listen to LGBTQ+ members of staff, volunteers, or program participants when they discuss what makes them feel included in a space. For more information about LGBTQ+ inclusion within the workplace see the section about “Welcoming Gender and Sexuality in the Workplace” in the Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed’s DEIJ Toolkit. On an individual level you can visit our Resource Library section on LGBTQ+ Inclusion to learn about how to use the correct pronouns for folks and other best language practices.
With an estimated 8.8 million LGBTQ+ people in the United States, and 20% of people ages 18-24 identifying as part of the LGBTQ+ community, including them our environmental work will strengthen our efforts now and in the future. Creating an inviting atmosphere for LGBTQ+ folks is a component of making the wonders of nature accessible and equitable for all people, something that our members of the Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed strive to do every day.