Recently, there has been an increase in the number of conservation groups working with the 2SLGBTQIA+ (Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual) community to host events. This has signalled a new wave of support for 2SLGBTQIA+ people in the environmental movement; and not only is there a growing demand for this programming, but it is also essential.
2SLGBTQIA+ Positivity in Wild Spaces
Ontario Nature spoke with conservation organizations hosting 2SLGBTQIA+ events, gaining valuable insights into how these initiatives are being developed and delivered.
Conservation Halton was established more than 60 years ago to protect our communities from flooding and erosion. Ontario Nature spoke with their Communications Specialist, Tamanna Kohi, about their approach to 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusivity, “When we received the accreditation from Canada’s 2SLGBTQIA+ Chamber of Commerce, we placed Rainbow Registered window decals at our park visitor centres. A park visitor pointed out how proud they are to support [our] parks and added that they felt seen and safe knowing we are committed to building a culture of inclusivity for all our communities.”
Enjoying a walk during an LGBTQ2SIA+ camping event © David Prasad CC BY 2.0
This year, the Bruce Trail Conservancy (BTC) and its nine Bruce Trail Clubs also received Rainbow Registered designation. In a press release announcing the accreditation, Laura Tuohy, Manager of Community Engagement at the BTC, emphasized the importance of ensuring everyone feels welcome on the trail.
“People in 2SLGBTQIA+ communities deserve to feel safe, comfortable, and welcome to explore the Bruce Trail and be part of its future, whether that be through self-guided adventures, joining guided hikes, or taking part in volunteer activities,” says Tuohy.
Tuohy told Ontario Nature that participating in Pride events helped BTC better understand barriers people face when accessing outdoor recreation. “Attending Pride events has given us the opportunity to hear peoples’ apprehensions about going on organized group hikes and have direct conversations with people in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community,” she says, “With that feedback, we started our Rainbow Hike program the following year to provide a safe space for 2SLGBTQIA+ folks and allies.”
2SLGBTQIA+ Groups Break Through
If nature is to be for everyone, it must make itself so through active facilitation. Naming 2SLGBTQIA+ positivity and engaging in events, media and outreach that supports the community is a step forward.
The BTC’s approach is yielding impressive results. Tuohy shared, “We are inspired each day by [our] mission ‘preserving a ribbon of wilderness, for everyone, forever.’ … But we recognize that it’s not enough to say, ‘for everyone’, we have to demonstrate it, invite participation, facilitate safe spaces, and work to remove barriers to inclusion.”
As Rosalyn Endlich, Natural Environment Specialist with the City of Toronto elaborated, “Relationship building and supporting existing community networks is essential … we were grateful to partner with Friends of Hanlan’s, a queer landscape-based community advocacy group. Collaborating with them helped us reach additional people and support those that had already laid groundwork and built demand for engagement events.”
A large Pride gathering © Fibonacci Blue CC BY 2.0
Building Inclusive Spaces in Nature
The groups operating at the intersection of sexual identity, gender identity, and nature programming are filling a gap for 2SLGBTQIA+ people and offering a service to the community.
“We also use the natural world as our guide … as natural ecosystems are more resilient and better able to adapt to change when they are biologically diverse, organizations and movements are stronger when they are diverse and inclusive,” says Tuohy, “When we are facing parallel crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and loss of connection to nature, we need to come together and involve as many people as possible in finding solutions.”
Endlich echoes, “For queer people to come together in a community event to plant and care for a queer space was something special. Now, whenever folks visit this beach, they hopefully will feel even more connected and invested in the space. Also, it was meaningful on a personal level both for our 2SLGBTQIA+ staff and folks who attended this event to all get to work together and see ourselves represented in forestry and environmental stewardship.”
And Kohi adds, “Conservation Halton’s Pride in Nature kick-off event, Birds of All Feathers, is hosted at Mountsberg Conservation Area. Staff, volunteers and event attendees are always excited to attend the event dressed up in their Pride gear,” Kohi adds. “The event features educational signage with animal facts that represent Pride out in nature — for example, the endangered species, Jefferson Salamander is a species with ‘unisexual reproduction’, meaning that females reproduce through cloning. … This was a great opportunity to showcase the diversity of nature.”
To learn more about 2SLGBTQIA+ organizing, visit Queer Ecology by Network in Canadian History & Environment, Making space for LGBTQ+ and wildlife communities by CBC and Five ways to become a better ally to 2SLGBTQ+ communities by Kristopher Wells.