Celebrating LGBTQ+ Climate Leaders and Changemakers

RMI's statement emphasizes that LGBTQ+ communities are disproportionately vulnerable to climate change due to systemic marginalization, including higher rates of homelessness and unemployment. The document highlights the work of four LGBTQ+ leaders in the United States—Rachel Kyte, Joseph Toolan, Christine Hallquist, and Paul Gestos—and identifies organizations working at the intersection of queer identity and ecological justice.

• LGBTQ+ populations face heightened vulnerability to climate change and environmental catastrophes due to systemic marginalization, specifically regarding housing and economic stability. In the United States, while LGBTQ+ youth make up 7 percent of the youth population, they represent 40 percent of homeless youth.
• Transgender individuals face significant economic barriers that increase their risk of poverty; the unemployment rate for transgender people is three times higher than that of the general population, with even higher rates for black transgender people.
• Climate justice and LGBTQ+ equality are described as intertwined issues, as marginalized groups suffer more during crises. Specific examples of vulnerability include food insecurity and a lack of guaranteed protections or proper accommodations in emergency shelters for transgender individuals following events like Hurricane Katrina.
• The document profiles four US-based LGBTQ+ leaders contributing to the climate movement: Rachel Kyte (former CEO of Sustainable Energy for All), Joseph Toolan (Chesapeake Bay Trust), Christine Hallquist (CEO of Cross Border Power), and Paul Gestos (organizer of the Peoples Climate March).

APA

RMI (2020). Celebrating LGBTQ+ Climate Leaders and Changemakers. https://rmi.org/resources/celebrating-lgbtq-climate-leaders-and-changemakers/

Chicago

RMI. Celebrating LGBTQ+ Climate Leaders and Changemakers. 2020. https://rmi.org/resources/celebrating-lgbtq-climate-leaders-and-changemakers/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=RMI |title=Celebrating LGBTQ+ Climate Leaders and Changemakers |date=25 June 2020 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/celebrating-lgbtq-climate-leaders-and-changemakers/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{rmi2020celebrating, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Celebrating LGBTQ+ Climate Leaders and Changemakers}}, publisher = {RMI}, year = {2020}, month = jun, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/celebrating-lgbtq-climate-leaders-and-changemakers/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }