Pride's True Colors
Lauren Rosenstein is the Oregon Department of Energy’s Community Equity and Inclusion Analyst. Lauren brings a wealth of experience and a commitment to equity and antiracism – she is committed to listening to community needs and helping identify and remove barriers to accomplish equitable energy and climate goals through building relationships and collaborating across agency programs. This month, Lauren reflects in her own words on Pride Month this June and what it means for our agency and our work.
CBS News: The hidden figure behind the iconic rainbow flag that symbolizes the gay rights movement | June 20, 2024
I’ve always thought rainbows are magical. The fact that light can pierce through a raindrop, which causes it to refract and literally bend light to reveal a spectrum of vibrant colors is incredible. How then did this colorful show of nature come to be a symbol of Pride? That’s not entirely clear.
Some say the rainbow Pride flag was created in the 1970s, following the Stonewall Uprising (also referred to by many as riots). Then some say it was taken up much earlier, after Dorothy sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” in the Wizard of Oz. (Read more)
To me, the rainbow represents the spectrum of what it means to be Queer. I am my own unique color, and I’m also part of the incredibly diverse Queer community that fights so hard to shine, even under clouds of discrimination, fear, and hatred.
Feeling part of something bigger, coming together, and working toward something that reaches beyond myself are important to me. It’s part of the reason I’m excited to work at the Oregon Department of Energy and support the agency’s mission of advancing solutions to shape an equitable clean energy future.
That’s what Pride is rooted in: working toward a collective mission to uplift and benefit all communities.
When we center the people who have experienced the most harm, are the most disenfranchised, and who have been excluded for generations, we are creating a society that is truly meant for everyone, where everyone will benefit.
As we celebrate Pride Month, it is a good time to reflect on where we’ve been. The LGBTQ+/Pride revolution that was building for generations finally came to a flash point during the Stonewall Uprising. The Uprising began on June 28, 1969 and lasted for six days. LGBTQ+/Queer communities were marginalized, oppressed, and legally discriminated against; the Uprising pushed for an end to the unjust treatment of individuals and the community as a whole.
At the time, national and local media was starting to devote more time to the important work happening across the United States — to recognize Civil Rights for all Americans, including Black, Brown, and Communities of Color who had been denied the opportunities and rights of the American Dream.
You may recall our blog celebrating Black History Month, where we explored the connection between the Civil Rights movement and the Environmental Justice movement and discussed the intersectionality (or overlapping) of personal identities and experiences. The intersectionality continues through our celebration of Pride.
Communities who have been historically and are still marginalized to this day are often the most impacted by environmental harms. Climate advocate and current director of Harvard’s Climate Action Accelerator Program, Lindi von Mutius draws a connection between environmental, climate and energy policy and how communities are impacted, stating:
“The people who are going to be most impacted by climate change are our people. They’re [Q]ueer Brown people. They’re Brown people. They’re [Q]ueer people. They’re poor people. And when you look statistically at who experiences poverty in this country, in the LGBTQ[+] community, it’s [T]rans people. Our [T]rans brothers and sisters are going to be the ones excluded from emergency disaster relief. They’re the ones who are going to face violence. So asking questions like, ‘How is climate change going to hurt our communities specifically?’ has become so important.”
There are incredible LGBTQ+/Queer leaders at the center of the environmental justice movement. This is not an exhaustive list, and I hope you feel encouraged to see who the leaders are in your region:
Pinar Sinopoulos-Lloy is a Transgender, Indigenous activist and the co-founder of ‘Queer Nature’ which provides “…nature-based education... [that] strive to go beyond recreation in nature to deep, slow, and thoughtful engagement with the natural world to build interspecies alliances and an enduring sense of belonging for all.”
Rachel Carson wrote the ground-breaking book ‘Silent Spring’ in 1962 after studying the impacts of the chemical DDT and other pesticides on natural habitats around the world.
Ceci Pineda is a gender non-conforming organizer with the Audre Lorde Project in New York City, who works to bring attention to the environmental justice movement led by people of color most disproportionately affected by climate change.
Pattie Gonia is from Bend, Oregon! Pattie Gonia self-describes as the “world’s first backpacking queen,” Pattie Gonia brings a joyful perspective to creating inclusive outdoor spaces where everyone, especially those in the Queer community, can feel safe.
Lauren Rosenstein serves as ODOE’s Community Equity & Inclusion Analyst, you can connect by emailing Lauren.Rosenstein@energy.oregon.gov.