Queers Hug Trees
Allegra and Amalie are two queers tree huggers. Our podcast is a collaborative exploration of the links between queerness and environmental justice. We’re asking what it means to be queer in the environmental justice movement, how we can address barriers to queer environmentalism, and what the environmental movement can learn from queer justice struggles. Join our disruptive knowledge journey to create resources for queering conversations about climate, biodiversity, and other environmental issues.
Queers Hug Trees
Disruption, Defiance, Direct Action: What Climate Activists Can Learn From Queer Liberation
Today, we delve into organizing tactics in social movements, taking a look at the past and potential futures of climate activism. With input from two fellow climate activists, we ask questions like: What is direct action? When is it useful? How should the climate movement be shifting its focus and tactics to better address climate breakdown?
While the mainstream climate movement has seen some progress with legal actions like climate strikes, we are exploring what is missing. Can climate justice learn a few things from queer liberation's tradition of disruption and defiance?
We are joined by two incredible climate activists, Ash and Lilah, who speak to their experiences in the climate justice movement and whether climate activists are "doing disruption right". Our profound thanks to them for their work.
We hope you enjoy the episode!
We refer to the following resources throughout the episode:
[5:30] Q&A with Dana Fisher (2024)
[4:10, 5:55] Colin Davis on Just Stop Oil (2022)
[6:55, 12:25] Article by Laura Thomas-Walters and Kevin A. Young (2024)
[9:20, 35:30] Never Going Back, book by Tom Warner (2002)
[15:30] Article by Joseph Nicolas DeFilippis and Ben Anderson-Nathe (2017)
[16:50] Brian Duignan's commentary on Green is the New Red, book by Will Potter
[17:50] Article by the Intercept on the Green Scare (2019)
[18:00] US Senate hearing on the ELF and ALF (2005)
[19:55] Ted Talks interview with Will Potter (2014)
[25:20] Queer Political Performance and Protest, book by Benjamin Sheperd (2010)