You Won't Believe How LGBTQ+ Activists Are Leading the Charge Against Climate Catastrophe!

For Shannon “SJ” Joslin, who identifies as nonbinary and gay, the California wilderness serves as a sanctuary where acceptance isn't a prerequisite. Once a park ranger, Joslin finds solace in nature, stating, “The natural world has never been discriminatory to me like that.” Growing up in a conservative town where calling someone gay was considered an insult, Joslin turned to the environment for comfort, free from societal judgments regarding their identity.

“If I get caught out in a storm, that’s my bad. But I can absorb all of nature and all of the beauties without it caring about what my sexuality is, what my gender is,” they add. “I always have a place outside.” This need for belonging led Joslin to participate in a groundbreaking act of defiance last May, when they helped hang a large transgender Pride flag in Yosemite National Park. The act resulted in their termination from the National Park Service, but it also garnered international attention, culminating in Joslin being honored in the Out100. As they challenge their firing, Joslin is also on a quest for a new role in environmental education, reflecting on this “surreal” experience.

Joslin emphasizes the importance of their work in science, seeing it as a way to contribute to a broader understanding of the natural world. “In science, you’re kind of chipping away at adding information to a body of knowledge that creates different theories or helps to understand things better,” they explain. “It’s usually pretty nameless. Not every scientist is a Darwin, so I’m used to not being in the limelight.” This perspective is vital because research indicates that LGBTQ+ individuals often possess a stronger connection to the environment compared to their cisgender and heterosexual counterparts.

Data reveals that LGBTQ+ people are not only more attuned to environmental issues but also more concerned about climate change. A 2023 report in Sociological Inquiry, titled “Queering Climate Change: Exploring the Influence of LGBTQ+ Identity on Climate Change Belief and Risk Perceptions,” suggests that queer individuals are more likely to worry about climate change because they are disproportionately impacted by it. Authors Cameron Whitley, an assistant professor of sociology at Western Washington University, and Melanie Bowers, an associate professor of urban politics and policy at WWU, assert that the intersectionality of various issues deeply affects the LGBTQ+ community.

“Being queer or trans doesn’t automatically make us care more about the environment or climate change, but growing up in a world that often overlooks or challenges our identities does shape how we see connections between different forms of inequality,” Whitley says. “LGBTQ+ people learn early on that issues like housing, health care, immigration, and safety are deeply intertwined, and the environment and climate change fit into that same web.”

Moreover, the report highlights that low-income areas are often more vulnerable to climate change, a reality that disproportionately affects LGBTQ+ individuals who are statistically more likely to live in such circumstances. Discrimination can also extend to disaster response efforts, leaving LGBTQ+ victims overlooked in times of crisis. Furthermore, surveys assessing climate change impacts frequently exclude sexual orientation and gender identity, meaning the LGBTQ+ community is often invisible in climate and disaster planning.

Joslin's act of hanging the flag was not only a statement against the discrimination faced by trans individuals under the Trump administration but also a protest against the defunding and destruction of national parks. They view the LGBTQ+ community as aligned with environmental values, emphasizing a sense of collective responsibility. “America and most Western cultures are capitalistic cultures. So in order to succeed, you’re not necessarily doing what’s the most altruistic or what’s best for those around you,” Joslin notes. “In contrast to that, the LGBT community is a community.”

This perspective reflects a broader trend: as traditional systems often overlook marginalized communities, those communities tend to prioritize collective well-being over individual gain. Joslin compares the struggle for LGBTQ+ rights with the fight against climate change, noting that “the same political forces that deny climate science often target LGBTQ+ rights.”

Joslin’s journey in the great outdoors exemplifies a passion that transcends personal struggle. As they joke about the challenges of explaining both transgender identities and climate change to skeptics, they recognize the importance of touching hearts to inspire change. “The thing that is beautiful about humans is that we’re so diverse, and that diversity exists all throughout the animal kingdom,” Joslin states. “If we all were the same, then there wouldn’t be much progress.”

This article is part of The Advocate’s Jan-Feb 2026 issue, which hits newsstands January 27. Support queer media and subscribe — or download the issue through Apple News, Zinio, Nook, or PressReader.