Today, the Northern Hemisphere of our collective home is at its fullest tilt toward the sun. Summer is here. Along with it comes Pride month, during which we celebrate the achievements, contributions and struggles won by the LGBTQIA+ community.
As part of our Sierra Club community, I love to share inspiring stories about our work and news from the wide world of environmental advocacy. One story that inspired me this Pride season is the success of a call to action posted by drag artist and climate activist Pattie Gonia, to ensure that LGBTQIA+ National Park Service employees can continue to wear their uniforms with pride at Pride. Read this inspiring example of how democracy won out, in this article published by The Advocate: National Park Service reverses Pride ban for employees in uniform after backlash from LGBTQ+ community.
This Earth Day, I was thrilled to join our outings leaders Julie Lowe and Mary Reardon on a partnership hike with Queer Indiana. You can read more about Queer Indiana in the blog post “Finding Queer Joy in Nature” from founder, Tyler Moore.
As Tyler says, nature is for everyone!
L - Group Photo after Queer Indiana’s September 2023 Pride Hike. Photo: Tyler Moore. R - Robyn Skuya-Boss with their husband, Dr Jacob Boss, at Pride Day at Adventureland in Altoona IA, 2012
I’m so excited to be joining our outings leaders and Queer Indiana again on June 22, for a special Pride month paddle at Lake Monroe! If you’d like to join us, places are limited so registration is essential. All the details can be found on our website.
As a Sierra Club community we know the joy and wonder of spending time exploring the world around us.
Whether hiking in the forest, spending time with family at the neighborhood park, or being captivated by the furry and feathered friends we encounter when we head outside, being outdoors has a way of connecting us to the vibrance of life all around us.
As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community I’ve learned the importance of being true to yourself. As a member of our environmentalist community I’ve learned how all life is connected.
Recognizing and honoring that all life is connected gives us courage as we advocate for clean air, clean water, and a swift transition to clean energy. It’s also why as a Sierra Club community we must work to ensure that the outdoors are inclusive, accessible and welcoming for all.
The trails that lay ahead may be long and winding and at times uphill, yet when we go together we can navigate any obstacles that we encounter.
Happy Pride. Be out. Be proud. Be outdoors.
Robyn Skuya-Boss (he/they)
Chapter Director
Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter
PS - Would you like to get more involved with our Outings program or learn more about volunteering with us? Join me for an introduction to our Chapter Teams on July 15 at 7:00 PM Eastern Time. Register here.
