I ran across this Field Mag article on the Children & Nature Facebook page, and felt it was the perfect follow up to my pride Month post: "Pride Month: Out In the Wild." In the article, aptly named "28 LGBTQ+ Outdoor Groups Supporting & Celebrating Diversity in Nature," you get the location, mission, structure, Instagram page, and a donation link to 28 LGBTQ+ friendly organizations. The list is divided into both national organizations and regional groups.
Additionally, from Children & Nature's "LGBTQIA+ Youth & The Importance of Safe, Outdoor Spaces Stat Sheet" (see the side bar on this page), these statistics further emphasize why both representation and finding affinity groups is important:
- 5% US high school teens are questioning their gender identity.
- 9.5% US teens (aged 13-17) identify as gay, bisexual, or transgender
- LGBTQ+ teens are twice as likely to feel sad, depressed, or a sense of hopelessness than their straight peers.
- 52% people aged 14-24 identified spending time in nature as improving their sense of calm and overal mental health.
- Suicide attempts are 2.5 times higher among LGBTQ+ teens who do NOT feel they are respected for their identity and pronouns than their LGBTQ peers who are.
So what are you into? Hiking? Camping? Adventure trips? Surfing? Snowboarding? Skateboarding? Climbing? Outdoor education? Communing with nature? Connection with a view? Community with a social justice slant? Environmental stewardship? If you are in LGBTQ+ and in need of finding "your people," definitely check out Field Mag's article "28 LGBTQ+ Outdoor Groups Supporting & Celebrating Diversity in Nature."
Honoring & supporting pride should not be merely one month!
No comments :
Post a Comment