Earth Day 2025, on April 22, will mark the 55th official national annual observance demonstrating support for environmental protection. Both before and after the first Earth Day in 1970, there have been a number of out LGBTQ+ champions of Mother Earth who have made a positive impact.
Rachel Carson and Harvey Milk
Marine biologist and conservationist Rachel Carson (1907–1964) dedicated much of her efforts to environmental protection. She took on the chemical industry at the end of her life with her seminal book Silent Spring, published in 1962. It tells how indiscriminate usage of agricultural chemicals, pesticides, and certain other manmade substances have polluted the environment, harmed aquatic and terrestrial animal populations, and caused severe medical problems in humans.
Carson’s longtime partner was Dorothy Freeman, and the two wrote over 900 letters to each other over the years. In one, Freeman wrote: “I love you beyond expression … . My love is boundless as the Sea.” Carson, in turn, wrote: “Reality can so easily fall short of hopes and expectations, especially where they have been high. My dear one, there is not a single thing about you that I would change if I could!” Her last letter to Freeman, before Carson’s death due to breast cancer at age 56, included: “Never forget, dear one, how deeply I have loved you all these years.”
Harvey Milk (1930–1978) both indirectly and directly had a tremendous influence on environmentalism. For the former, his community organizing skills, strategies to build grassroots campaigns, media and public relations savvy, and ability to forge unlikely alliances helped create a playbook that has influenced activists within many movements.
In terms of his direct efforts, Milk early on recognized the importance of public transportation as a means to minimize environmental impacts, to reduce costs for all, and for its other benefits. Like State Senator Scott Wiener today, he was known to regularly ride Muni. In fact, Milk was the first city official to use a municipal public transit pass, a “Muni Fast Pass,” nearly every day.
In a letter to a newspaper editor, Milk wrote: “I was glad to read Pat Swendson’s letter in your column suggesting that supervisors and PUC commissioners ride Muni at least once a month. I don’t ride Muni about once a month; I ride it almost every day. In fact, I post my used fast passes on my office wall to encourage others to do the same. If more of my colleagues and commissioners did ride the Muni, we’d have a much greater system. The rides are often quite interesting, too.”—Harvey Milk, Supervisor, San Francisco
One of his most successful early campaign issues concerned what was then a frequently discussed problem: dog waste in the city. More than just a smelly nuisance, animal waste contains two main types of pollutants, pathogens and nutrients, which can impact water quality, the health of other pets and wild animals, and human health.
Milk cleverly arranged for members of the media to meet him at a local park. Little did they know that he had walked around the park beforehand and spotted a big pile of dog poop. As cameras rolled, he stepped in the waste, lifted up his foot, and examined it in mock horror. This PR stunt not only helped clean up the city at the time, but also honed his skills at effectively utilizing media coverage to his advantage.
Milk and Carson are just two of the many LGBTQ+ community members who have had a positive impact on environmental activism. Climate change has led to new generations of leaders, such as the 27 LGBTQ + climate activists listed at https://shorturl.at/RQyDZ
Queer Clubs for Conservation and Community
As Monet said, “The richness I achieve comes from Nature, the source of my inspiration.” All of us can benefit from quality time in the great outdoors, and these experiences are even better when shared with likeminded others. In this issue we highlight just a few of the many LGBTQ+ clubs and groups offering outdoor activities and promoting conservation:
Gays of National Parks:
https://gaysofnationalparks.com/
Rainbow Sierrans:
https://rainbowsierrans.org/
San Francisco Hiking Club:
https://www.sfhiking.com/
Our intrepid adventurer Juan Davila, who is the Volunteer Coordinator for the San Francisco Bay Times, inspired this coverage, which emphasizes LGBTQ+ men like Juan who often enjoy experiencing nature while being mindful of Earth Day goals. For our queer women readers, the San Francisco Bay Times and “Betty’s List” co-present outdoor activities with you and your friends and allies in mind, such as our biking group led by Adrienne Miller and events led by naturalist Kim Powell of Blue Water Ventures: https://bluewaterventures.org/about/
Earth Day Every Day
Published on April 10, 2025
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