This is the third blog in our Take Time Tuesday series to #amplifymelinatedvoices in intersectional environmentalism. Click here to learn more.
In honor of Pride Month, I’d like to highlight one of my FAVORITE intersectional environmentalists on the ‘gram! Any guesses? I’ll give you a hint:
This individual has been working tirelessly — and hilariously — to show up for “Mother Natch."
And even before hashtag amplifymelinatedvoices was a thing, this person has been bringing a widely diverse crew of people together, unified by a shared love of the outdoors, to Get. Sh**. Done.
She’s raised hundreds of thousands (millions?) of dollars for environmental and social justice, created countless guides on how to be a better human, made us laugh, made us cry, and done it all in heels (though let’s be honest here: wildly uncomfortable footwear isn’t my usual criteria for greatness).
So have you figured it out yet? Who might this magnificent Nature Queen be?!?
DRUMROLL PLEASE....
Ok, I know it's obvious: @PATTIEGONIA.
Started as an instagram account in the fall 2017, Pattie Gonia's vibe and voice has resonated with hundreds of thousands of people in the outdoor community (and beyond).
Why is it that Pattie rose to notority in the outdoor industry? Leah Thomas of intersectionalenvironmentalism.com asked him this very question in The Good Trade last week:
...the birth of Pattie also symbolizes a very personal journey in which I, for the first time in my life, lived true to my queer identity.
When I started living true to who I was, my whole world changed.
This humble authenticity is contagious.Yes, the internet is a powerful tool for connection and has certainly led to people knowing about my work, but every moment that has mattered most in my journey with Pattie has been when I've realized that I have an intersectional responsibility to the LGBTQIA+ community, other marginalized communities in the outdoors, and to our planet.
Time and time again, Pattie has proven unafraid to invite a diverse crew to the table to talk, create a plan, and take action.
Pattie helps us remember that sometimes taking action can be as simple as…well, taking action.
It doesn’t have to be rocket science.
Taking a stand for justice might not always be fun work, but no one says you can’t have a good time getting the work done.
Thanks, Pattie, for showing us how.
P.S. If you're an Instagram user and aren’t following Pattie yet, what are you waiting for? Prepare to be challenged, delighted, put on the spot, and probably end up contributing time, money, or both to environmental causes because Pattie makes it easy… well, as easy as it can be.
Let’s keep at it.
https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/pattie-gonia-lgbtq-environmental-justice
📷: @pattiegonia
Lisa