Ideas for inclusive conservation podcasts - Pattie Gonia

[Mscarl (she/they)]

@Big Fin

The podcast team should book queer conservationist Pattie Gonia to discuss conservation and outdoor inclusivity topics. Organizations like Audobon Society and many more have incorporated PGs messaging to help increase inclusiveness of outdoor spaces and I believe the public land hunting community would benefit as well. Surveys and research has demonstrated that anywhere between 10 and 25% of young people identify as LGBT+ or some other form of non tradition gender identity. Incorporating messaging to this group of young people is not only imperative for future public land advocacy but as a valuable demographic in sales and marketing.

PG has been a vocal supporter of federal workers during this dark period for the agencies that are entrusted with our public lands. For instance, PG was an important part of the protest regarding the unjust termination of Shannon Joslin for expressing 1st amendment rights on public land

Thank you as I saw you voiced your support for the 1st amendment related to the fascist incidents in MN.

Pattie Gonia has received many awards related to conservation and been recognized by friend of conservation former Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland. Secretary Haaland is likely going to be the next governor of NM and has a close working relationship with another friend of conservation and queer ally, Senator Martin Heinrich. This is the only link friendly video US Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and PG without downloads. Also is a TED talk which may be found on your tube as well. Many other videos are available on PGs work related to public land, conservation, indigenous communities, climate change, and more.

There is no doubt a long list of beneficial topics that could discussed including inclusivity and diversity. The current administration wants to destroy both of those things in addition to the legacy of our public lands. What better way to help stop them and throw a monkey wrench in their plans by bringing together the incredible power of the public land and queer communities.

How a Trans Pride Flag Cost Me My Job at the National Park Service

Shannon ‘SJ’ Joslin was terminated from their position at Yosemite National Park in August for flying a trans pride flag on El Capitan

www.outsideonline.com

Why joy is a serious way to take action

While doom and gloom may wake people up, joy keeps them in the fight, says drag queen and environmentalist Pattie Gonia. With humor, creativity and a dress made of thrifted shower curtains and upcycled pink flamingo pool floaties, Pattie shows why embracing fun might be the key to building a...

www.ted.com

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/n...ag-queen-Pattie-Gonia-campaign-video-NYC.html

 

[Rack Daniels]

Need all the voices to be heard for public lands…

Got any queer friends in the stock growers association or MOGA or UPOM?
Bring em all!

 

[Mscarl (she/they)]

How did that work out for Bud Light?

I am not asking Randy to dress in drag and undertake a queer marketing campaign. I am suggesting that he have a discussion on his podcast with someone that has many things in common regarding public land and conservation and some different views. I am sure someone like Senator from Utah Mike Lee would be welcomed on the podcast if he wished to have such a discussion.

Pattie Gonia has already engaged with many prominent people and brands without issue. On the contrary, these meetings have been hugely successful. Furthermore, the message being promoted here is the same messaging of inclusivity that was promoted by the last administration. Public land for all. In contrast to the present administration that is trying to keep brown people from using public land.

 

[TX Trophy Hunter]

I am not asking Randy to dress in drag and undertake a queer marketing campaign. I am suggesting that he have a discussion on his podcast with someone that has many things in common regarding public land and conservation and some different views. I am sure someone like Senator from Utah Mike Lee would be welcomed on the podcast if he wished to have such a discussion.

Pattie Gonia has already engaged with many prominent people and brands without issue. On the contrary, these meetings have been hugely successful. Furthermore, the message being promoted here is the same messaging of inclusivity that was promoted by the last administration. Public land for all. In contrast to the present administration that is trying to keep brown people from using public land.View attachment 400265

How is the administration trying to prevent brown people from accessing public land? Honest question, I’m not trying to be dismissive.

 

[Mscarl (she/they)]

How is the administration trying to prevent brown people from accessing public land? Honest question, I’m not trying to be dismissive.

The evidence is overwhelming. Trump personally cancelled special holiday access to national parks on days like Martin Luther King Jr Day. A holiday many black and brown families used to enjoy public spaces free of cost. Also, this president has taken extraordinary steps to make sure all funding that may help conservation efforts directed at Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are cancelled. I would wager many black, brown, and queer owned businesses especially in the outdoor spaces have suffered greatly.

 

[TX Trophy Hunter]

The evidence is overwhelming. Trump personally cancelled special holiday access to national parks on days like Martin Luther King Jr Day. A holiday many black and brown families used to enjoy public spaces free of cost. Also, this president has taken extraordinary steps to make sure all funding that may help conservation efforts directed at Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are cancelled. I would wager many black, brown, and queer owned businesses especially in the outdoor spaces have suffered greatly.

Cancelling a free national park day doesn’t discriminate, it applies to everyone. The rest of your argument is very vague and speculative. Do you have any specific examples? I cannot stand the current administration, but I think it hurts your argument when you make blanket statements that sound more like news headlines than fact based logic.

Here’s how I criticize the administration with concrete evidence. As you probably know they terminated thousands of probationary federal employees last year under the guise that probationary employees unskilled entry level workers. In reality, a federal worker becomes probationary many times in their career. For example, I personally know a former wildlife biologist who was terminated because he was a probationary employee. He had over 20 years of experience, but had recently moved into a supervisory position.

 

[Mscarl (she/they)]

Cancelling a free national park day doesn’t discriminate, it applies to everyone. The rest of your argument is very vague and speculative. Do you have any specific examples? I cannot stand the current administration, but I think it hurts your argument when you make blanket statements that sound more like news headlines than fact based logic.

Here’s how I criticize the administration with concrete evidence. As you probably know they terminated thousands of probationary federal employees last year under the guise that probationary employees unskilled entry level workers. In reality, a federal worker becomes probationary many times in their career. For example, I personally know a former wildlife biologist who was terminated because he was a probationary employee. He had over 20 years of experience, but had recently moved into a supervisory position.

Cancelling all DEI programs and funding as well as cancelling free access on MLK day has nothing to do with it? Sorry I choose not to wear blinders.

My suggestion in this thread is about increasing inclusion and diversity not trying to stop it. Whether you think Trump and his people are doing it does not matter. Diversity and inclusion are what public lands are all about. Doing a podcast with a much larger conservation voice like Pattie Gonia would only serve to be beneficial. Reaching young people and different audience is a good idea. I am not asking for every podcast to do it. 1 podcast with a conservation voice with a huge reach compared to any hunting podcast out there. It is a suggestion worth considering.

 

[hunter49]

Who's stopping the alphabet soup from participating in conservation?

 

[TX Trophy Hunter]

Cancelling all DEI programs and funding as well as cancelling free access on MLK day has nothing to do with it? Sorry I choose not to wear blinders.

My suggestion in this thread is about increasing inclusion and diversity not trying to stop it. Whether you think Trump and his people are doing it does not matter. Diversity and inclusion are what public lands are all about. Doing a podcast with a much larger conservation voice like Pattie Gonia would only serve to be beneficial. Reaching young people and different audience is a good idea. I am not asking for every podcast to do it. 1 podcast with a conservation voice with a huge reach compared to any hunting podcast out there. It is a suggestion worth considering.

You still have not answered my question. How is the administration trying to prevent brown people from accessing public land? It is extremely easy to visit BLM land and National Forests. You literally just go there. It is also easy to visit a National Park or Wildlife Refuge. You show up and pay a fee. That covers the 4 main federal land management agencies. So what am I missing?

 

[TX Trophy Hunter]

I will give you one talking point. There is a lot of recreational opportunity on federal land on military bases, which can only be accessed by military personnel, their families, or DOD employees. You can definitely argue that Pete Hegseth is discouraging LGBT and minorities from being in the military, therefore reducing their access to that land. I don’t think that is his concern in his actions but that is a consequence.

 

[Dsnow9]

Cancelling all DEI programs and funding as well as cancelling free access on MLK day has nothing to do with it? Sorry I choose not to wear blinders.

My suggestion in this thread is about increasing inclusion and diversity not trying to stop it. Whether you think Trump and his people are doing it does not matter. Diversity and inclusion are what public lands are all about. Doing a podcast with a much larger conservation voice like Pattie Gonia would only serve to be beneficial. Reaching young people and different audience is a good idea. I am not asking for every podcast to do it. 1 podcast with a conservation voice with a huge reach compared to any hunting podcast out there. It is a suggestion worth considering.

Have you been to a trailhead in Colorado? Majority of the vehicles have some form of diversity sticker on them. The diversity stickers to American flag stickers or trump stickers in Colorado is probably 98 - 2

 

[Dave N]

I see no need for any such programs. ALL people can enjoy public lands whether they are straight, gay, bi, black, brown, yellow or white. Just go. Nobody is keeping anyone out. What I would like to see is less DEMAND to be included or prioritized. No group is any more special than any other. Stop acting like it. Just get it out and enjoy whatever piece you want to.

 

[CowboyLeroy]

Isn't this what that harold cat was up to?

 

[Mscarl (she/they)]

This is the suggestion sub forum. I am making a suggestion. One of Randy Newberg's most liked posts I have found was regarding a commitment to diversity after his Hunters of Color Podcast. I was under the assumption based on that podcast, statement, and number of likes that increasing diversity was a pursuit forum membership was interested in.

I will give you one talking point. There is a lot of recreational opportunity on federal land on military bases, which can only be accessed by military personnel, their families, or DOD employees. You can definitely argue that Pete Hegseth is discouraging LGBT and minorities from being in the military, therefore reducing their access to that land. I don’t think that is his concern in his actions but that is a consequence.

Thank you and I realize that I came off as brash with a comment about blinders. We disagree on Trump. I think many people would benefit from a podcast from a different perspective.

Have you been to a trailhead in Colorado? Majority of the vehicles have some form of diversity sticker on them. The diversity stickers to American flag stickers or trump stickers in Colorado is probably 98 - 2

I do not know if your numbers are correct but I know the outdoor community is represented well, but not the hunting community. I have known several closeted hunters from CO. I think people would be surprised how many people choose not to disclose their lifestyle to others. In many cases, coming out is a matter of losing family or a job. Sometimes it is a matter of life and death. As a deeply closed member of the community, I fear for my safety, job, and personal relationships so I take steps to remain closeted.

 

[TX Trophy Hunter]

This is the suggestion sub forum. I am making a suggestion. One of Randy Newberg's most liked posts I have found was regarding a commitment to diversity after his Hunters of Color Podcast. I was under the assumption based on that podcast, statement, and number of likes that increasing diversity was a pursuit forum membership was interested in.


Thank you and I realize that I came off as brash with a comment about blinders. We disagree on Trump. I think many people would benefit from a podcast from a different perspective.




I do not know if your numbers are correct but I know the outdoor community is represented well, but not the hunting community. I have known several closeted hunters from CO. I think people would be surprised how many people choose not to disclose their lifestyle to others. In many cases, coming out is a matter of losing family or a job. Sometimes it is a matter of life and death. As a deeply closed member of the community, I fear for my safety, job, and personal relationships so I take steps to remain closeted.

First off, I’m sorry that you have to deal with those issues. Nobody in this country should fear for their safety and well being based on their personal choices. I think a lot of people here have similar opinions on LGBT rights as I do. It’s similar to how I view coyote hunting. Coyote hunting has no appeal to me and it’s something that basically doesn’t exist in my world. I don’t give it any thought. But if other people like hunting coyotes then good for them and I wish them success. I was taught in college that to build a strong argument you need to be critical of your position to weed out the weak points. I have been critical of part of your position to try and demonstrate that to you. Here’s one more issue I thought of where you might relate to people on this forum. I have heard some people suggest that transgenderism is a mental disability and should be grounds for denying someone their second amendment rights. This group on hunt talk is generally against restricting second amendment rights for almost anyone.

 

[Ben Lamb]

I like this idea, personally. One of my dearest friends and hunting companions is gay. My niece, who came out at an FOB in AFG, hunts and has used fly-tying/fishing as therapy for her PTSD.

There's a massively cool world out there with all kinds of different people enjoying the same pastimes. I know a few folks who have confided in me that being LGBTQ+ means they're not comfortable with a bunch of howler monkeys with guns out in the woods. I can see that, especially having grown up in the west and lived through the 80's and 90's. I think hearing from that perspective is a good thing. My gut tells me that 90% of Hunt Talkers aren't bigots in real life and have close family and friends who are queer and they'd think nothing of going hunting with them. How you transfer that kind of acceptance to people you don't know can be done with a little common sense and kindness, and a pod-cast like that might be helpful both dispelling the myth that hunters are a bunch of rednecks who hate anyone different as well as the myths of being gay, etc. In an instance like this, I think being "an ally" is essentially the same as not being a jackass. But it would be good to hear from folks who aren't sure about their safety on how hunting can be more welcoming and kind.

As far as the outdoors being placed off limits to others, there is some proof to that, especially as it relates to those who live in more populated areas. I don't know if this administration is any worse than others, going back to reconstruction as it relates to racial issues. Certainly the great migration post-war from the south to the Midwest saw a massive decline in outdoor opportunities for African Americans due to loss of proximity. Further, there's a ton of studies that show being "from the wrong side of the tracks" wasn't just about poverty, but about living in pollution, etc. But I think that's more economic than racially driven. Poor white folks who live in a city have fewer options to get outside and start recreating than kids who live in a holler in West Virginia, but even those kids aren't using a 6.5 creed or an Orvis 5 wt. Folks who live in economically depressed areas/areas set up for low income housing often times are not close to open spaces (city parks, lakes, etc) and so there's no opportunity for outdoor recreation. The good parks and lakes, etc are closer to the nice areas of a town, etc.

Here's a 12 minute talk by Dr Musafa Ali on Social Justice. He does a great job talking about environmental justice and how it disproportionately affects people of color, as well as people of lower economic status.

It's not in this video, but I did see a speech he gave that's similar to this where he talks about growing up in poverty in West Virginia (family were Baptist preachers, IIRC). His point was that the problems of Detroit are the same as the problems in rural areas, and race, while it may be a factor, isn't the predominant divider between clean air and water so much as income was.


Additive to all of that the hunting cultures of other regions, continents, etc and it could be a really cool series of "it ain't just upper middle class white dudes killing shit."

Falconry? Started by Middle Easterners and Mongols.

Taking a lion with a Spear? You ain't Maasai tough.

Brown Bears on Hokkaido? There's a culture for that.

All indigenous cultures have their own hunting legends. Our creation stories across world religions are littered with the heroics of hunters.

Hercules wears the mane of a lion he took. Artemis is the Goddess of hunting, wilderness, wild animals, childhood and chastity.

We named our most visible constellations after the hunter (Orion) or the quarry (Ursa Major/Ursa Minor). We
hunted" our monsters (Beowulf) to bring order to our lives, all of our eyes are set forward, inline with our incisors. We are predators, as a species - all of us.

Hunting is a unifying theme (obviously excluding vegetarians and vegans) among humanity. It's our drive to survive, our desire to provide. Those kind of genetic markers require eons more time to be bred out of us, whether you wear make up, smear camo paint on your face, or who you love.

Humans are weird, cool, frustrating animals. Hearing their stories helps us all realize that we're all cool, mostly weird and every single one of us are frustrating. Relating our stories helps us relate to each other on a much more human level. Americans are weirder still, since we all come from the flotsam and jetsam of civilized Europe: The trouble-makers and rebels, the poor and destitute, Irish, Chinese and Italians. We're Australia without the convictions. Our hunting heritage can be summed up as starting with a middle finger to King George, and a realization that wildlife is for all of us, not just the wealthy. America is a massive melting pot of all kinds of culture, kinks and crudites, Let's celebrate all of it.

 

[texwest44]

@Mscarl (she/they) , your intentions are noble and your idea is perfectly acceptable. Unfortunately, we live in a time where everyone is suspicious, grumpy and generally kinda stand offish.

This is where diplomacy is key. I see that you gave it a shot, and things quickly devolved into a conversation about the status of minority gender and race group's access to public lands. Can't make much progress going down that road.

Here's how Eleanor Roosevelt (a great diplomat in one of the world's most trying times) would have done it: "Hey HTers, I've noticed that your community here plays a pretty big role in conserving and protecting public lands, and keeping the oligarchs and greedy private interest groups at bay. There's a public land advocate named Pattie Gonia who has actually been able to accomplish quite a bit of relationship building, and has been doing a really good job at getting lots of people involved who likely wouldn't have been involved otherwise. She even has the ear of people in state and federal government who are involved with public land institutions and programs. Seeing as how Randy is a big name himself who carries some weight in the matter, I think it could make the public land protection movement even stronger if HT made some connections in these really large circles outside of the hunting community, and maybe even brought Pattie in for a conversation. Here are some videos so you can get to know Pattie's views and some of the work she's done. I hope you all see the value that thousands of other people see, and that we can join together to keep public lands in public hands! There is strength in numbers and diversity!" She then would have ignored the suspicious, grumpy people (we have a few of those folks around here), and focused on those with whom she could have built proper alliances. She was really quite good at this, and keep in mind she had to carry a revolver everywhere she went because of the threats of violence and assassination. Good diplomacy makes friends of the good-faithed, and enemies of the corrupted.

Just something to think about. You seem like your heart is in the right place, I'd hate to see a potential positive relationship not make it out of the gate just because it's too easy to lose focus of where we all agree and stand shoulder-to-shoulder.