Why Sustainability?

Sustainability is the next frontier of the LGBTQ community. Politics, marriage and religion have become viable social options over the past 20 years. These were, in my opinion, closed off from the gay community identity before as we fought for our very existence and the right to have sex. Now, like Maslow's hierarchy of need, we have matured beyond basic protection toward self actualization. In other words, while hate continues to plague our community, we see gay senators, lesbian religious leaders, and marriages in several states sanctioned by the civil government. We have made great strides in broadening what it means to be a LGBTQ individual. The Human Rights Campaign, Lambda Legal and GLAAD have all worked toward this, along with countless other organizations, community organizers and every day individuals. OUT for Sustainability now seeks to unite our community with sustainability in a similar function.

Some wonder whether the LGBTQ community is ready to be known as sustainable, many see the two concepts as mutually exclusive. In fact, when I started the organization, my reasoning was the lack of cross over in my own life. I knew gay people, but almost none of them cared about sustainability. And while I was immersed in the sustainability community in Seattle, I was almost universally the token gay friend. I was welcomed, but not outreached to. Sustainability has been a demographic movement, populated by a heteronormative group of primarily white, straight, married individuals in progressive communities with small children. And the gay community has not come running. Certainly there are leaders in sustainability who happen to be gay, but based on my experience their involvement does not extend back to their sexual orientation. Those who are fully embedded in the gay community as activists and leaders appear to consider sustainability an external issue. Stereotypes of the gay's are universally characterized by his consumption. We are courted for our buying power and love of nice things. We are not known as leaders of environmental responsibility. This needs to change.

The historic stereotype of the gay man was not Will from Will and Grace, it was the perverse molester, the wimp, the outcast. Now we are more often seen as strong, fashionable and a community who can unite for a cause. Change can happen, but only with sacrifice. We have had to endure censure and abuse from those who would see us stay oppressed. We have had to grow within, expecting our best and even changing our habits to live the best life available. I think that this can go a step farther. It can go beyond being the best in every field, the most fit, the most fun to being the most socially and environmentally sustainable group in the world.

Sustainability is ensuring that the same or better resources, both social and environmental, are available to future generations. Sustainability is thinking global impact and acting locally to build inclusive community. Our community is so well poised to be sustainable. We champion so many social causes within, how hard would it be to consider how we impact the rest of the world. We do not pass our heritage only to our children, but to children everywhere who are growing up gay and looking to the leaders of today for the direction of our community tomorrow.