Dear John, 

As we reach the end of Pride Month, I wanted to talk about some of the ways the climate crisis intersects with LGBTQ issues. 

As climate change worsens, its effects will be felt differently by people across the country and the world. This means that people that are already marginalized will face disproportionate impacts, compared to their less marginalized counterparts. For example: LGBTQ youth already comprise 40% of all unhoused youth (1), due to family rejection, discrimination, and other factors. When climate disasters destroy homes and threaten livelihoods, those that already have precarious living situations are at an increased risk. Think about when extreme cold or severe heat waves come around— if you lack stable housing, it can be very difficult to find a way to stay safe and away from the elements. Climate justice calls for no one to be left out, especially those pushed to the margins like the LGBTQ community. 

Climate change threatens to destroy everything we know and hold dear by fueling an increase in stronger and more destructive climate catastrophes like rising seas, hurricanes, and uncontrollable wildfires. The cost of climate inaction far outpaces the cost of taking action now. This is why we are calling for bold climate investments in future economic recovery legislation.

This Pride Month, call on your legislators to invest in climate and prioritize those that are most affected by the climate crisis. Climate change only exacerbates existing inequalities in society, and any solutions to this issue must be intentional about rectifying this. 

In solidarity,

Lotanna Obodozie 
Advocacy Associate
Generation Progress

Citation

(1) https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-involved/trevor-advocacy/homelessness/