Pride Month honors and remembers the Stonewall Riots starting June 28, 1969, a pivotal moment in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality in the United States. The riots erupted as a spontaneous reaction against a police raid on the Stonewall Inn, a popular LGBTQ+ bar in Greenwich Village, New York. The event gave momentum to a movement to eradicate discrimination against LGBTQ+ Americans and continues to serve as a rallying cry for LGBTQ+ communities around the world.
This year, we’re celebrating Pride Month by highlighting LGBTQ+ organizations who are working to positively impact food systems both locally and nationally. LGBTQ+ people have had an enormous impact on our food systems but continue to be underrepresented in popular narratives around what it means to be a key actor in those systems, as farmers, food systems activists, or nonprofit leaders. We’re here to invite you to learn more about, and support the LGBTQ+ organizations below who are driving change in their communities.
The Okra Project: The Okra Project seeks to alleviate hunger and food access issues experienced by Black Trans people in New York City and Philadelphia. They do so by paying Black Trans individuals to cook culturally appropriate communal meals.
Lesbian Natural Resources (LNR): Based in Minneapolis, LNR supports community land projects with the aim of helping lesbians of all backgrounds gain practical land-based life skills and learn how to preserve local ecosystems.
Southern Solidarity: Mobilized by a queer Black woman, Southern Solidarity is a volunteer-driven community organization that coordinates the sourcing, packaging, and delivery of food, medical resources, and basic needs to unhoused people in New Orleans seven days a week.
Cultivate Change Foundation: The Cultivate Change Foundation centers LBGTQ+ agriculturists as critical voices in solving issues facing the agriculture industry. By holding events and regional caucuses, Cultivate Change builds partnerships and raises awareness with the industry.
If these organizations aren’t local to you, engage with folks in your community to find LGBTQ+ organizations doing food systems related work and consider supporting them!