I must be old. I just don't get it.
When I was growing up the National Audubon Society was a bunch of bird lovers who worked to protect natural habitat and birds all around the planet. Audubon drawings of birds were collected, often framed and hung on the walls of homes.
Today, apparently, the bird lovers prefer birds that are actually men dressed up as women.
I just don't get it. I mean I'm fine with you doing you. But I don't get why every charity, every group, every company needs to kneel at the alter of every group on every issue. Can't we just enjoy birds without making everything a social or political statement on something?
www.audubon.org
From their press release, linked above.
Photo: Mike Fernandez/Audubon
(New York, June 14, 2022)—The National Audubon Society has partnered with drag artist Pattie Gonia to invite the LGBTQIA community outdoors this pride month and to ensure they have a safe and welcoming experience while there. As part of the collaboration, Audubon is releasing the first two of four videos celebrating Pride in the outdoors, on June 13 and 21.
From hiking in platform boots to ice skating in a famous dress made from recovered pieces of discarded trash, Pattie Gonia is the creation of avid hiker and backpacker Wyn Wiley. Wiley says the character was born spontaneously on a hike several years ago, but became a way to call attention to climate change crises facing North America’s wild lands. She quickly earned millions of views and hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
“People ask me all the time, ‘how are the queer and environmental movements related’,” said Pattie. “I say, first, ‘no planet, no Pride!’ Second, there’s such an opportunity for people so versed in social justice, like the queer community, to join into the environmental movement. Similarly, there’s an equal opportunity for people versed in climate justice to help advocate for queer people. Why not take these two communities and work to cross pollinate them?
“The traditional narrative if you’re queer is to run to big cities for acceptance, and oftentimes I think that creates a severed connection to nature, so I hope that queer people take away that they are part of nature and the outdoors. And I think that it’s a necessary step for organizations like Audubon to lead the way and show others, ‘hey, this is what it looks like to diversify outdoor and environmental spaces.’
“I am so inspired by birds. Everyday birds tell us that climate change is happening through their songs and through the songs they no longer can sing due to habitat and species loss. So- are we going to choose to listen or not?”
. . .
“I feel like a proud papa – seeing “Let’s Go Birding Together” take off nationally in so many ways,” said Jason St. Sauver, the program’s creator. “From its first beginnings at Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center in 2016, to reaching thousands through our collaboration with Pattie Gonia, it is great to see such a queer space being created outdoors for so many,”
When I was growing up the National Audubon Society was a bunch of bird lovers who worked to protect natural habitat and birds all around the planet. Audubon drawings of birds were collected, often framed and hung on the walls of homes.
Today, apparently, the bird lovers prefer birds that are actually men dressed up as women.
I just don't get it. I mean I'm fine with you doing you. But I don't get why every charity, every group, every company needs to kneel at the alter of every group on every issue. Can't we just enjoy birds without making everything a social or political statement on something?
National Audubon Society Teams up with Drag Performer Pattie Gonia to Celebrate LGBTQ Pride
Video series invites LGBTQ community outdoors and highlights conservation issues
From their press release, linked above.
National Audubon Society Teams up with Drag Performer Pattie Gonia to Celebrate LGBTQ Pride
Video series invites LGBTQ community outdoors and highlights conservation issues
(New York, June 14, 2022)—The National Audubon Society has partnered with drag artist Pattie Gonia to invite the LGBTQIA community outdoors this pride month and to ensure they have a safe and welcoming experience while there. As part of the collaboration, Audubon is releasing the first two of four videos celebrating Pride in the outdoors, on June 13 and 21.
From hiking in platform boots to ice skating in a famous dress made from recovered pieces of discarded trash, Pattie Gonia is the creation of avid hiker and backpacker Wyn Wiley. Wiley says the character was born spontaneously on a hike several years ago, but became a way to call attention to climate change crises facing North America’s wild lands. She quickly earned millions of views and hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
“People ask me all the time, ‘how are the queer and environmental movements related’,” said Pattie. “I say, first, ‘no planet, no Pride!’ Second, there’s such an opportunity for people so versed in social justice, like the queer community, to join into the environmental movement. Similarly, there’s an equal opportunity for people versed in climate justice to help advocate for queer people. Why not take these two communities and work to cross pollinate them?
“The traditional narrative if you’re queer is to run to big cities for acceptance, and oftentimes I think that creates a severed connection to nature, so I hope that queer people take away that they are part of nature and the outdoors. And I think that it’s a necessary step for organizations like Audubon to lead the way and show others, ‘hey, this is what it looks like to diversify outdoor and environmental spaces.’
“I am so inspired by birds. Everyday birds tell us that climate change is happening through their songs and through the songs they no longer can sing due to habitat and species loss. So- are we going to choose to listen or not?”
. . .
“I feel like a proud papa – seeing “Let’s Go Birding Together” take off nationally in so many ways,” said Jason St. Sauver, the program’s creator. “From its first beginnings at Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center in 2016, to reaching thousands through our collaboration with Pattie Gonia, it is great to see such a queer space being created outdoors for so many,”
