← LGBTQ Outdoors Podcast
Loading summary
Transcript102 lines
- [00:00]
Joe Tulin
Just getting people outdoors during Earth Day. I think one of the things that I also share is that, you know, you don't need to be part of some big, you know, movement for Earth Day. Like, Earth Day for different people. Might also just look like spending some time outdoors, getting to know, you know, a local park or a local trail or whatever that might look like, and just taking some time to, like, slow down and interact with. With the earth and with the environment.
- [00:33]
Justin Yoder
What do you do when you come out as LGBTQ and love the outdoors? What do you do when you see outdoor spaces ruled by older white CIS men and desire a diverse community of outdoor lovers? Accept it, change it, create it. I am Justin Yoder, and this is LGBTQ Outdoors. Hey, everyone, I am Justin Yoder. I'm Patrick Thompson, and this is the LGBTQ Outdoors Podcast. We are grateful that you are joining us today for another great episode. Kind of focused around Earth Day.
- [01:09]
Patrick Thompson
Yes.
- [01:10]
Justin Yoder
Excited about that. And we have an amazing guest that we're going to get to in a little bit, but we have a couple updates.
- [01:18]
Joe Tulin
Yeah.
- [01:19]
Justin Yoder
News that we want to go over before we dive in. I'm going to touch. Which one do you want to take?
- [01:26]
Patrick Thompson
I'll do LGBTQ Outdoor Fest.
- [01:29]
Justin Yoder
Okay, go for it.
- [01:31]
Patrick Thompson
Okay, so I'm going to go ahead and talk about lgbtq.
- [01:34]
Justin Yoder
You're going to go ahead and talk about it.
- [01:35]
Patrick Thompson
About LGBTQ Outdoor Fest in very, very short terms. Go back and listen to our podcast and you'll find out all about it. Because we talk about it nonstop, but.
- [01:47]
Justin Yoder
It'S worth talking about.
- [01:48]
Patrick Thompson
Yeah. Yeah, Totally worth it. Um, essentially, we bring people together from across the country. Last year, literally from around the world, we had a guest from Norway come, and it is four days of queer community getting together, hanging out, learning not only about our community, but also, like, about the outdoors. Getting to try out new activities that you've always been a little bit nervous to dip your toe into without having to invest in, like, gear and equipment and all that stuff. So you get to try it out. But the real takeaway that just sort of happened is the community and the fellowship and the connection. It. There's something. I call it outdoorfest magic that happens when we all get together and we're in a safe place, and we get to let our guard down and be, like, completely authentic and legit, and it's just really special. So it's become an annual thing. We're doing it this year up in the great state of New York. September. Oh, my goodness. September 11th through the 15th. Yeah, it's a gorgeous property. They've been working with us and we've been working behind the scenes to put all this together under the leadership of the great Josh McNabb and friends in that big old committee. So. So we're super excited. You can find out more about it@lgbtq outdoors.com outdoorfest yeah.
- [03:22]
Justin Yoder
And I mean, and to me, in a nutshell, a great way to describe it is kind of like a queer summer camp for adults, and who doesn't want that, right? Yeah, it just sounds amazing. I do want to point out two guests that we have coming. We have our instructors, and I think that it'll be cool to highlight some as we get closer, but we have more. But the two that I want to point out that are coming is one is Brad, Brad Ryan and Grandma Joy this year. So I believe she's 95 years old.
- [03:54]
Patrick Thompson
And still kicking and feisty as ever, and she's amazing.
- [03:57]
Justin Yoder
And coming to LGBTQ outdoor.
- [03:59]
Patrick Thompson
Yes.
- [03:59]
Justin Yoder
So if you want to meet her, she has traveled the world, all the national parks and more. She's going to be there. So she has a wealth of wisdom. And it's just, I feel like in Grandma Joy's term would be a hoot. Yes.
- [04:15]
Patrick Thompson
Yeah, she's a hoot.
- [04:19]
Justin Yoder
So both of them are going to be there. It's going to be great. And then one other one that I want to point out is Justin Bickley from Alaska is going to be coming.
- [04:29]
Patrick Thompson
He is also a hoot.
- [04:33]
Justin Yoder
He is also. He is also a hoot. He is an ambassador for LGBTQ Outdoors and a great friend of ours. He also helps us with the Alaska adventure trip with pack grafting. So he's going to be doing a workshop on pack rafting, so it's going to be amazing.
- [04:54]
Patrick Thompson
Can't wait.
- [04:54]
Justin Yoder
Can't wait. All right. Also, we have been touching on this a little bit, but this is a brand new aspect of LGBTQ outdoors that I'm excited about, and it's been growing and taking off really well. And that is the 100 Mile Club. Yes. Basically, what the 100 Mile Club is is it's a way for you to challenge yourself, maybe compete against others a little bit and see how many miles you can get in in a year or however long you want to go with it. Really. Everybody joins the LGBTQ Outdoors Club on Strava, which is an app that tracks your miles, whether you're hiking, biking, walking, rowing, whatever it is. When you sign up, you get a T shirt. You also be a part of the community. We put you on our website that you're part of the club and you start going. And then every time you hit 100 miles, you get a challenge coin. And if you are watching on YouTube right now, I'm trying to hold it up so you can see this is what they look like. So this is the Hundred Mile Club. It's going to be a little bit out of focus, I think, but you get an idea of what they look like. And then the 200 mile one. And so far. And they go all the way up to a thousand miles.
- [06:15]
Patrick Thompson
Really? Oh, wow.
- [06:17]
Justin Yoder
And so it goes through all the progressive flag colors. Each one is a different progressive flag color. There's 10 of them. And the last one is the black 1000 mile one. So it's a fun new thing that we're doing. So you can head over to the website. Website, get all the details, sign up, and be a part of that as well. Awesome. Yeah. We ready to jump in with our guest?
- [06:40]
Patrick Thompson
Yes. Yes. We are super excited. I think we're going to learn a lot. Our guest is Joe Tulin. Joe is Justicia Ecuador Fund Director at green Latinos. Since 2022, his team has awarded 23 million to Frontline Environmental justice communities, organizations and leaders to achieve a more just future. He earned his bachelor degree in Geographical sciences with a concentration in Environment Systems and Natural Resource Management from the University of Maryland, College park, and an executive certificate in Nonprofit Management from Georgetown University. Joe is the chair of Annapolis Pride, the co chair of Indigenous Inclusion Workshop for the State of Maryland Commission for LGBTQIA affairs, where he served as the first chair from 2021 to 2023. He is a Vice president of the board of Defensores de la Cuenca, which is the Watershed Defenders, and served on the board of Adoptees with Guatemalan Roots and Out for Sustainability. Joe is also a senior fellow with the Environmental Leadership Program. Joe, welcome to the show.
- [07:56]
Joe Tulin
Yeah, thanks for having me. Glad to be here.
- [07:58]
Patrick Thompson
Absolutely. I was stalking you a little bit on Instagram and kind of like doing some research, and I. I clicked on your. Oh, link tree. Link tree, yeah. And it just goes on and on. And there's articles, there's interviews. Like, there's like a lengthy list of really all the badass stuff that you're out there doing, tackling inequity and injustice on many fronts, including environmental impact. So you've got it all covered and we're really grateful for you to give us some of your time and we can hopefully learn a couple things. So thanks for being here.
- [08:41]
Joe Tulin
Of course. I'm glad to be here.
- [08:43]
Justin Yoder
Yeah, I think we're all going to be educated. That's one of the goals, right, with the podcast, is to bring education to all of our community and everything. And I think that just the little bit that I've already known about Joe is like, I kind of just want to sit back and just let him run the show. And, like, you have the floor, Joe. I know that we're going to learn a lot. I know that we want to also celebrate Earth Day and everything that comes along with. With that as well. But we're. We're living in interesting times. We have a lot going on. Joe is very knowledgeable, and so we're going to dive in and learn about you. And again, like Patrick said, thank you for in here. But to start off in your own words, just tell us a little bit about who you are. Like, who you are, where you grew up, you know, anything fun like that that you'd like to share with us to kind of get the audience connected with who you are.
- [09:42]
Joe Tulin
Sure, yeah. So I currently live in Annapolis, Maryland, not too far outside of D.C. i've been here for probably five or six years, but I grew up in a smaller area of Maryland called Pasadena, Maryland, Very different than Pasadena, California, which I think a lot of people have heard about. And fun fact, I guess I'm adopted. So I was born in Guatemala in 1996, and I was adopted when I was a child, three months old, here to a family in Maryland. And I think a lot of my connection to the outdoors really comes from that upbringing. And I can talk a little bit more about that in a little bit as well. But, you know, through being outdoors, I think learned a lot more about myself and what interests me. And I think as we talk about Earth Day and kind of protecting the environment, one of the things I always say is that I was very privileged to have access to the outdoors from a very young age. And a lot of the work that I do now, really, is to help ensure that other people have safe access to outdoor spaces. And, you know, for some people, especially in the Latino community, that might be, you know, like a small park that's down the road from them, and it's not going to be, you know, the same access that other people might have had growing up in a lot of spaces. And so, you know, I consider myself a leader in a lot of the issues, I guess, that I care about, both part of the LGBTQ community, part of the environmental community. I do a lot of advocacy around adoption and kind of how that has affected me as a person and just am really involved in making sure that folks that have been marginalized in some way have a space to find out who they are and be themselves. So that's a quick, quick background.
- [11:41]
Justin Yoder
Yeah, No, I love that. Fun fact for me to go with your fun fact to the first country I ever went to outside of the US Was Guatemala. So that's interesting.
- [11:52]
Joe Tulin
Awesome.
- [11:52]
Justin Yoder
Have you been back?
- [11:54]
Joe Tulin
I have, I guess, more fun facts to my story. During the pandemic, as I think a lot of us all of a sudden were faced with a lot of free time by ourselves, I started the process of reconnecting with my birth family. So I met them. Gosh, I guess it's been about three years ago now, and I've been back once a year, every year since then to connect with them, explore more of the country. And it's a beautiful country. I think it gets a bad rep quite often. And just like other, you know, cities and areas, there's definitely parts of the country that you do have to be careful in, but a lot of it is also safe to explore and travel. And it's beautiful. It's also like the one time of year where I go away and I basically say, like, you're not going to get a hold of me. I am on vacation. And so I feel like it's sort of like my happy place now. It's gorgeous.
- [12:54]
Patrick Thompson
Nice.
- [12:55]
Justin Yoder
Yeah, it really is. I mean, it's been a few years since I've been there. I was 16 back in 1998 when I went. But one of the places that I really remember is Antigua, up in the mountains, and it was just absolutely stunning and amazing place to visit. So I love that fact about you. I'm curious, like, because you said that you are adopted. A little bit more of your story with that and coming out, because a lot of people, you know, obviously in the LGBTQ community often aren't accepted by their. Even by their biological parents. I'm curious to what your story was like on that.
- [13:33]
Joe Tulin
Yeah, that's an interesting story. And so it's definitely been a journey. I grew up in a. In a Catholic family here, and so, you know, honestly, I've. I heard from a very young age that, like, being gay was bad. It was not, you know, accepted in the community that I grew up in. It was not, frankly, like, something that was talked well about even in the house that I grew up in. And so that journey was hard. I didn't come out until I was in college, so, you know, I would say That's a little bit late for people my age. Like, I think a lot of people my age came out in, like, high school or middle school even, and we're, like, pretty open. There was definitely a few people in high school that were out, and I was not at the time. And when I did come out, it definitely caused a little bit of a strain on my relationship with my adopted family here. I feel like they've learned some and in some ways have come around. But I know that it's something that still, I think, is hard for them to understand. And so there's a little bit of a rift there, but, like, you know, you work through it slowly, and hopefully things get better. It's really interesting, though, because my birth family, you know, when I met them, there was this moment of, like, oh, do I tell them or not? Because Guatemala, obviously is a very different country. Definitely a lot more conservative maybe, than, like, here. And when I met my birth mom, one of the first things that was in, like, a letter, basically, because they sent a letter, was that she was evangelical. And I was like, oh, no. Like, and is this going to be okay? And so my first meeting with my birth family was actually on zoom, and there was a translator there. And my Spanish is better now, but I'm still practicing. It's a whole thing. But I remember at the end of the call, I was basically like, I have to tell her that I'm, like, gay, because it is part of my identity. I don't hide who I am. And I remember the translator stopped, and he was like, are you sure you want me to tell her this? And I was like, yeah, I do. And, like, clearly it is not as accepted there. Like, this person who is really just there to translate kind of stopped and was like, do you actually want me to say this? And so I was like, yes, because for me, I've done so much work to come to terms with who I am. And to be honest, this person, even though she's my birth mom, is still a stranger to me. And so if I'm going to build a genuine relationship with her, like, I'm not going to hide who I am. And so I remember him saying it. It definitely was, like, surprising to them, I think. And then I have two sisters in Guatemala also, who I've just met through this whole process. And one of them was like, honestly, we stalked you online, just like people can do. And she was like, so we were not surprised, you know, like, we sort of knew that was the story. And I was like, okay, like, cool. Like, we're over that. But they've also been nothing but accepted. And the way that my birth mom ended up responding was sort of like, you know, God doesn't make mistakes, so you are the way that you are because that's how God made you. And, like, that. It was almost like her saying that was, like, fixing this long coded, like, history of, like, what God does or doesn't accept. And so it was crazy. It's been quite a journey, and I feel like while my adopted family is still, like, working through some of this, like, my birth family actually has been super accepting, and, like, you know, we're just building that relationship now, which is crazy.
- [17:28]
Patrick Thompson
So cool.
- [17:29]
Justin Yoder
I just think that it's incredible. I, Like, I made the. How easily it could have been to be. Not tell them, especially the first time that you had that meeting with them on Zoom. Like, it could have been like, I want to try to build a relationship with them first and, like, get that connection going. But you laid it right out there from the beginning. So I think that that's incredible, and I'm glad that your journey is, you know, it might not be the easiest or the most smooth that you want, but it seems like it's progressing in good ways and so very happy for you with that. When it comes to the outdoor side of things, how did you start getting plugged into the outdoors and what. What started causing your love for. For the outdoors and the environment?
- [18:14]
Joe Tulin
Yeah. So like I said, I grew up in sort of a smaller town here in Maryland, and so we had three acres of land that was, like, that's what my parents owned. And there was a lot of. Frankly, like, it was mostly woods and then the house around it. And so from a very young age, I just had access to being out outside, could go outside. My dad's a big hunter, and so, like, you know, he taught me how to hunt from a very young age. I don't really do it anymore. Also. I'm very busy with all of the other things that I do, but. But that was, like, the type of house that I grew up in. Just, like, learning to be outdoors, to respect the environment, and really just that connection was crazy. We also had a boat, so, like, we would go out crabbing, fishing, like, all of the things. And I think that was where I really, for the first time, just like, understood the beauty of nature. Like, being out in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay, you know, sometimes super early in the morning, watching the sunrise. Like, there's nothing that brings that level of peace to being outside. And just, like, watching, you know, fish, you know, come out of the water, watching birds fly around, like, all of that really, I think, inspired me from a very young age to be. To be interested in the environment. And to be honest, I don't think I saw myself, you know, in this space for a very long time. I actually took an environmental science class in high school, and that was the first time where I think it was my teacher, and she was just like, you know, you can, like, do stuff like this as your career. And I was like, I've never thought of it that way, you know, and so, you know, that was the first thing that got me more set on, like, I can do environmental stuff as my, you know, day job in my career. And so, like I said, I've been very lucky because I grew up in a place where I could just go outside. And to be honest, I loved going by myself for walks through the woods. Like I said, I grew up in a community that I was very different. I was one of the only people of color. I was one of the only queer people. And so when I got to go outside by myself and just kind of, like, wander outside, that was when all of the societal expectations could, like, just disappear, you know? And so that was sort of the. The initial piece there of my connection with nature. Wow.
- [20:56]
Patrick Thompson
So from a high school teacher in environmental science class, are you having to keep up with this teacher at all? Does this teacher know all the badass things that you're doing?
- [21:11]
Joe Tulin
I don't know. You know, I should. I really should reach out. So I. I was in the STEM program for high school, so our county has, like, a STEM magnet program. And I don't. I don't keep up with that teacher anymore, but I should. I should. I should try to reconnect with her.
- [21:31]
Patrick Thompson
I bet she'd be pretty dang excited and proud of you, for sure. So that sort of kick started your. Your interest and your passion. About to steal a term from Disney. I don't know, maybe Disney didn't originate it, but environmentality. And now you're working with Green Latinos and what total white boy translation of this? Justicia e equidad fund. Am I saying that properly?
- [22:10]
Joe Tulin
Justicia y equidad fund.
- [22:13]
Patrick Thompson
Justicia y ecuad. Okay.
- [22:15]
Joe Tulin
Yep.
- [22:17]
Patrick Thompson
Had that white boy J in there. So you're involved with that, doing big things. Tell us what's going on with that.
- [22:27]
Joe Tulin
Sure. Yeah. So I've been at Green Latinos probably for about a year and a half, so I haven't been there for really, that long. But, you know, I would say that I started my professional career working at like, quasi governmental entities. So, like, almost every job that I had before, Green Latinos was like its own nonprofit that was created either by like the state of Maryland or by the federal government. And so there was a lot of, like, you can say these things and you can't say these things. And that is very, like, baked into some of the work that I was doing for a long time. So I went to Green Latinos. It was sort of because I got to this point of saying, you know, we need to be bolder about how we're doing some of this environmental conservation work, especially in communities that don't have the same resources that other communities have. And so Green Latinos, you know, their mission really is to bring together Latino leaders and really create meaningful change in ways that is very different than other groups. So there's kind of three pillars of our work. One is advocacy, one is resource intermediary. And that's a lot of the work that I lead, leading our grant making fund and then also being a convener, so bringing together people across the country who are doing this work. And so the fund that I manage, it started a couple years ago. It actually started a year before I started at Green Latinos. And the first year it was really small. It was about $100,000 that was dedicated for, frankly, like general operating support for small nonprofit organizations serving frontline Latino communities. And when I came on board at Green Latinos, we were awarded a really large $25 million to regrant funding out the door. And so obviously we're in a little bit of an interesting time with that right now. But we also have some other funders who have kind of come on board to help get money out the door. So we're working with groups like Bezos Earth Fund. Also Ocean Kind is another ocean kind of focused nonprofit organization. We act for Environmental justice is another funder. And the goal of this fund really is to get money directly into the hands of Latino community based organizations that are doing great work. A lot of the work is really centered around urban greening work. So getting trees planted in cities that are low on tree canopy. And you know, when we talk about the work that we're doing, I like to think of it, I don't even say like it's bipartisan, like, it's nonpartisan work. We, you can even ask, we were working with some mayors even in like Republican districts, and they can say things like, you know, if I'm walking in My city, and it's 15 degrees hotter in one area because there's no trees. Like that's a problem. And the goal is, is really to increase the tree canopy, make it cooler for people, doing community gardens, doing workforce development, to train people how to take care of, of trees maintenance, all of those things. And so, you know, we've been really lucky that we've been able to get so much money right back out the door to our community based organizations and the groups that we're working with. And we're kind of funding all across the country. We have some, I would say, like target zones that we're funding in. So like California, we have a lot of projects. We have a lot of projects in and around Illinois, New Mexico, Arizona and actually Puerto Rico. That one's kind of a cool, a cool place to fund. And one of the projects actually that we're working on, their goal is actually to replant a lot of trees that were lost during Hurricane Maria, which happened a couple, couple years ago. I think a lot of people remember that. And there's been no support really to replant a lot of the trees that were lost there. So it kind of spreads across the country in all kinds of different communities. And it's really, really cool work. And so, you know, it's been really great to sort of be on the other side. I have to say, the one thing that's really cool is most of my co workers, you know, they join green Latinos because they're from communities that have been directly affected by environmental injustice. And so I feel like I've come into it from a little bit of a different perspective, actually. But it's really cool.
- [27:07]
Justin Yoder
That's really amazing to hear everything that you guys are doing. I would assume that you probably are doing a lot with Earth Day, but for you guys it's like Earth Day every day of the year.
- [27:18]
Joe Tulin
It is. But I can say this weekend in particular, we have like a, it's called a building each other up chat that we send stuff in. And like all weekend my co workers are out doing events, sending pictures and videos and all of the things. And so it is cool to see that.
- [27:38]
Justin Yoder
I love that. What challenges and breakthroughs are you seeing, like, with the LGBTQ + community and representation among like green Latinos? Like, you know, when it comes to LGBTQ outdoors, a lot of times we'll have people look at our photos that we post online and be like, well, there's a lot of white people, you know, and it's like we want diversity and we, we can't control who comes to our events, and we try hard to, to show representation, especially like on our website and marketing stuff, because we want to encourage everybody that's a part of the LGBTQ community to get involved. But I'm curious, with. With like, Green Latinos, like, and. And the LGBTQ community, do you see a lot of intersection going on with that? And is there a way that you guys try to encourage diversity within your organization?
- [28:38]
Joe Tulin
Yeah, it's definitely a challenge, I would say, in the larger Latino community. And probably, like, not surprising is that, you know, because frankly, like, a lot of us are raised in very conservative households. I think there's still some barriers in general to greater LGBTQ representation in our communities. However, Green Latinos, I praise so much for. There's somebody who I knew from a couple years ago who was working there, who's non binary and who has just grown so much at Green Latinos. And so when I was thinking about joining Green Latinos, like, I already knew there was at least one queer person on staff that had been there for years that really enjoyed the work. And when I joined Green Latinos, I found out that there were more queer people on staff at Green Latinos. You know, we encourage not just our staff, but all of our members to, for example, like, include their pronouns on zoom when we're meeting online. And so there, there's sometimes very small things that are, are in place that really do help signal that it is a safe place to be queer in our organization. And I think that I've always felt supported by our co workers and most of our members. You know, like, I run a nonprofit that supports the LGBTQ community outside of work, and so it is really important that that type of environment exists in these organizations. I will say, I think one of the challenges continues to be how we educate our members around being inclusive. Like, we can set the standards when we're hosting events, we're hosting webinars. When we're in person, we do an annual summit together where we bring a lot of leaders from across the country together. And those are easy places to, like, set a safe place to be. I think it becomes harder when we're trying to also teach our members how to be more inclusive in the work that they're doing and maybe the policies that they have in place. And so, you know, that becomes a challenge, I think, when you talk about issues in the Latino community. Also, I think there's a lot of anti blackness that exists in the community. I feel like, unfortunately, with where we're at as a country, like, if we're not fighting together, like, we're all going to lose. And so I think there's a lot of other issues that sort of intersect LGBTQ identity and, you know, racism and all of these things that, you know, we are really struggling on, like how do you have these conversations with people in a meaningful way? But we've done a lot of work to really make our, our spaces as inclusive as possible.
- [31:33]
Patrick Thompson
And it's such a hard thing to do it. You know, we can have, you know, diverse attendees like, you know, all over our website and say that, like anybody can say, you know, yeah, you're welcome, but I think there's just this natural skepticism, you know, but am I really, am I really welcome? You know, and I think it takes for those of us who are like screaming for inclusion, what we have to be like full throttle, like on the gas, full steam ahead inclusion and make no apologies for it. And it is a challenge for sure to get that message to the right people and present the message in such a way to where it's believable because inclusivity is a harder message for like two white cisgender guys on a podcast to be like, you know, preaching, you know, and so we do have diverse voices, you know, gender, you know, racial background, historical background, like whatever ability, you know, getting those voices out there is is a big deal and important. We're going to take a quick little break so that we can give a little shout out to our sponsors, but we will be right back.
- [33:19]
Justin Yoder
If you're looking for high quality tents, sleeping bags or backpacks at a price you can afford, well, look no further. We're proud to partner with Co Designs 11, leading provider of innovative outdoor gear. Outside of offering high quality premier outdoor parallel gear, Sierra Design supports game changing organizations like LGBT outdoors. To learn more, visit their website SierraDesigns.com and enter code LGBToutdoors to receive 25% off your entire purchase. This episode of the LGBT Outdoors podcast is brought to you by the Monterey Bay Aquarium where you can experience the wander beneath the waves and celebrate your connection to the ocean. Join Monterey Bay Aquarium in advocating for a healthy ocean. Together we can tackle climate change and stop plastic pollutions at the source. Sign up for the Ocean Action email to learn how you can protect the oceans that connect us all@montereybayaquarium.org act and.
- [34:19]
Patrick Thompson
We'Re back with the LGBTQ podcast here with Justin and our fantastic guest Joe talking about all things environment and diversity and inclusion. But let's talk Earth Day. Big deal. Important, what are some ways that the average person can get involved to support Earth Day, to make an impact and actually make something happen? That's a big question.
- [35:00]
Joe Tulin
It is. I think there's a variety of ways that folks can be involved with Earth Day. I would say get to know some local nonprofits. I know so many groups in the area that are doing different types of, like, Earth Day cleanups or Earth Day events. Just getting people outdoors during Earth Day. I think one of the things that I also share is that, you know, you don't need to be part of some big, you know, movement for Earth Day. Like, Earth Day for different people might also just look like spending some time outdoors, getting to know, you know, a local park or a local trail or whatever that might look like, and just taking some time to, like, slow down and interact with. With the Earth and with the environment. I think I've had this thought quite a bit that we, as, like, people, especially here in the United States, are just so focused on work and getting things done and, like, all of these other things that sometimes we forget to, like, slow down and actually, like, thank the Earth for everything that it provides to us. And I think for me, a big part of Earth Day is also that reminder that we sort of have a duty to make sure that we're protecting and saving the planet from some of the harms that we're doing. And so, yeah, there's nonprofits that are probably doing cleanups. There might be nonprofits that are having events. But it can also be as simple as getting outdoors and slowing down and appreciating the environment. I think it's great that it's in the spring also, because, you know, it's stuff is blooming for the first time. You know, like, it's really an interesting time. I am on my apartment. I'm on the third floor. And so there's some big trees out here. And I think every day I wake up and I'm like, oh, there's a little bit more foliage on the tree leaves, and just appreciating, seeing as things shift throughout the year. And so I think those are the biggest things. I think if you can't get outdoors and you don't want to go do a cleanup, because going out and getting dirty and doing cleanups is not for everybody. There's always nonprofits that you can donate to or, you know, provide maybe monetary compensation to. And so I think those are the easiest ways for people to really get involved. There's so many groups across the country that are doing really important work that really need support now. I mean, I. I think especially given what's happening at the federal level, like, there are a lot of organizations that are not going to have as much support as they've had in the past. And so I think now's a great time to see how you can get involved and support different organizations as well.
- [37:34]
Patrick Thompson
Yeah, absolutely. I like how you mentioned that just going out and being in the outdoors is a valid way to celebrate Earth Day. Especially. I like the poetry of the spring, and you get to see, like, how resilient and powerful nature and the outdoors can be. Like, literally coming back to life after dead winter. And I think that there's like, a really strong kind of magic vibe there. It's really neat.
- [38:19]
Justin Yoder
Yeah, sure. I like also, like, just from our being involved with the LGBTQ outdoors in our position, and we see all these chapters that we have around the US and hearing about just, you know, we talk. We talk about the weather and what's going on in these different areas, and it can be casual talk, but at the same time, it's just cool to think about how the Earth works, even just right here in the United States. Because, like, this week, I had a meeting with Sheree, our ambassador program manager, who's in New Hampshire, and I was talking about how I needed to get out and mow the yard, and she's like, it's dumping three inches of snow on us right now. And it's just like, you know, like, if. If we didn't have people that we knew all around the country, like, a lot of times we wouldn't even be thinking about that. We'd be just like, oh, it's time to start mowing the yard again, and wildflowers are starting to come up and all that kind of stuff. But, like, in other parts of the country, and Colorado just got snow yesterday. And so while on the recording, which we don't release the same day, but, oh, it's just amazing to see how the world works. Also, climate change is a huge thing that is coming into play that we need to be thinking about, I think, when it comes around Earth Day and what we can do as far as, like, the environment on recycling and litter cleanup. And it's amazing because we've done events where we've gone to parks right around the Dallas Fort Worth area and done cleanups and had trash bag after trash bag after trash bag that was full. And it's like, what. What is going on that people just feel like they can come out here on A hike and just toss a plastic bottle into the woods or whatever. It just mind blowing. And I love what Leave no Trace is doing. And if people don't know about Leave no Trace, look it up. Get involved with them too, because we, we need to be taking care of the earth a lot better than we are.
- [40:33]
Patrick Thompson
Yeah. And the sad tragedy behind that is, like, these people are out hiking. You're going to assume that they have some sort of appreciation for the outdoors. And yet there they are just like, you know, throwing their beer cans and, you know, Styrofoam coolers and just. I'm like, why? Like, so frustrating.
- [41:01]
Joe Tulin
It's really hard. It's something that I think a lot about, I think especially when it comes from, like, working in underserved communities too. Like, there are some people that they don't think about that at all in some of the work that happens. And one of the projects that I spent some time on this was probably like four or five years ago now, was around illegal dumping here in Maryland. And there was some specific communities where you just had like, you know, 20, 30, 40 tires that would just randomly get dumped in different places. And, you know, in some. In some people's mind, it's just easy to. They just want to get rid of it, you know, like, I want to get rid of it. They're not thinking about the effects that it has and in other spaces. And so, you know, some of it is very. Just depends on the mindset at the time. I did a bunch of work around behavior change in particular, and like, that topic as a whole really affects, like, how people act in the environment and the way that, you know, there's access to different things. And so, like, if there's not a trash can, people are less likely to get rid of stuff. And you're not going to have trash cans out in every single place where, you know, people are trying to recreate outdoors. So it's. It's interesting. I don't know if there's a solution, but it's an interesting conversation for sure.
- [42:25]
Justin Yoder
Yeah, I don't know what the solution is either, or like you said, if there is one. But I know for the rest of us that are responsible and do love the outdoors, like hosting some friends, you know, do a barbecue in a park and go clean it up while you're there, you know, even if you pick up one trash bag, you know, if. If all of us that are really passionate about the outdoors would do something like that, we can make a difference.
- [42:54]
Patrick Thompson
So, like, one of our, our fort Worth Ambassador Kenneth. First time we went out hiking with him, like, and it wasn't, like, an event. It wasn't a litter cleanup, but we're just hiking, and as we're going along, he's picking up things that he finds on the trail. The goal was to hike, but he's helping out and pitching in just along the way. Like, that's part of his experience. And that was really convicting to me. I was like, oh, okay, so we're not going to walk by stuff anymore. Done.
- [43:31]
Justin Yoder
Yeah, definitely. We got some good people. That's a part of our organization.
- [43:36]
Patrick Thompson
We do do.
- [43:38]
Justin Yoder
Keep me in check and, like, see, you know, I hope that there are a thousand Joes out there, too, just making a difference. Like, we need more people to rise up in and leadership and environment. And the environment. And in Pride events, because I know that you do a lot with Pride as well. I just saw, you know, this is kind of a little bit of a twist, but I just saw yesterday that you had. Is it. Which part is it that you're involved with?
- [44:09]
Joe Tulin
Annapolis, right?
- [44:10]
Justin Yoder
Yeah. And you were doing, like, a training for, like, I should let you speak on it more, but, like, it's.
- [44:20]
Joe Tulin
Yeah, it was like a crisis response training. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I think that it's hard because, you know, I don't think we ever want to think that, like, something bad will happen at, like, a Pride event. Obviously, it's already happened. Like, you think about, unfortunately, like, the shooting that happened at Pulse nightclub. There are people that target certain people for whatever reason. And so I feel like this year our board has taken it very seriously that, you know, we need to continue to educate ourselves just in case. Like, we hope we never have to do anything that we've learned in these trainings, but it is really important. And I've gotten a lot of calls this year from people who are just worried, you know, like, you know, I got a call even from somebody from the county executive's office, and they said, hey, some of our staff, like, they're a little bit worried to participate. And, you know, if people at our county executive's office are feeling that way, like, you know, people, like regular people are also feeling that way. And so, you know, yeah, I think there's a lot of education that we can do to hopefully protect ourselves, too.
- [45:36]
Justin Yoder
Agreed. And I think you guys are doing a great job at that. I. You know, I'm not one that ever wants to tell people how they feel or what they should do, really, but I also want to put it out there. That, you know, 2025 is a bizarre year to, to say the least. But I would encourage people to still be sure that you are getting to your pride. Events like representation is, is important and not letting them win and push us back, letting our pride shine. And you know, if you're someone that is incredibly scared and you don't feel like you can, then, you know, you do what you have to do for you. But I would encourage those that can and feel like they are able to, to get out there and really let your pride show this year and, and surround it with joy. You know, it's a great time just to get out there, be yourself, have fun, get together with friends and celebrate who, who you are. And the fact, while it might not seem like it right now, we have come a long ways in the United States over the last 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years. So that is something we're celebrating and getting out there for pride. How about we do a few rapid fire questions with Joe and find out a few fun things with him. I'm going to kick it off.
- [47:05]
Patrick Thompson
Okay.
- [47:06]
Justin Yoder
And then you can roll as well. But I'm going to throw out ones that we haven't listed yet to start off. So first one that I have is what would be your favorite state to visit?
- [47:21]
Joe Tulin
Oh, I haven't thought about this. This is maybe a little bit of a cop out answer, to be honest, but I'm about to go to California for work and I've never spent a lot of time in California, so I'm excited to explore it.
- [47:34]
Justin Yoder
Awesome.
- [47:35]
Patrick Thompson
Gotcha. When you get to go outside and you're chilling and enjoying nature, what is your like, go to like, trail snack?
- [47:46]
Joe Tulin
This is also maybe a silly answer, but I love granola bars. Just a granola bar?
- [47:50]
Patrick Thompson
Okay.
- [47:50]
Justin Yoder
Yeah, that's more on part. We asked somebody once and it was fried chicken and I'm like, okay, members too, like, all right. Never heard that one. Favorite nature spot that inspires you.
- [48:05]
Joe Tulin
There's this park in Annapolis, it's called Quiet Waters Park. They also have a dog, a dog beach there where you can go and take your dog. And it's a gorgeous little like hideaway here.
- [48:17]
Patrick Thompson
Oh, nice. That sounds cool. Especially with dogs. Big dog fan. Is there an LGBTQ+ leader who inspires you?
- [48:29]
Joe Tulin
Yeah, I'm actually, I'm probably going to go to like a more local person, but there's somebody who works here in Maryland who provides gender affirming care for folks right now. She's an elder in our community. Her name is Deb Dunn. And she's been doing a lot of work to help, frankly, like, ensure that trans folks have access to gender affirming care. And when I tell you the number of people that I meet in the community who are like, deb done saved my child's life, you know, like, that's someone who I respect so much.
- [49:02]
Patrick Thompson
Nice. So important.
- [49:04]
Justin Yoder
Love that. Any advice for LGBTQ youth who might be interested or have a passion for environmental work?
- [49:11]
Joe Tulin
Yeah, like, reach out to people, get involved. I think a big part of success in your career is, like, networking and knowing different people. And so you'd be surprised how many people I, like, have gotten to know via, like, social media that are doing some really cool things and we keep in touch. So, like, reach out to people, get to know people. You're not alone in this. And, you know, I know that social media isn't always positive, but, like, I feel like you can also build some really cool community through it.
- [49:44]
Justin Yoder
Definitely.
- [49:45]
Patrick Thompson
Oh, absolutely.
- [49:47]
Justin Yoder
Do you have any. Any current projects, campaigns, call to actions, anything that you want to give a shout out to that you want to make people aware of?
- [49:56]
Joe Tulin
Yeah, I mean, one of the things that we're working on at Green Latinos right now is a new project. It's going to be called our Frontline Defense Fund. And so that the goal of that fund, as part of, like, the larger program that I manage, is really to get organization or to get money out to organizations that might be fighting, like, legal battles right now. And so if you go to greenlatinos.org and you search defensifund, it'll take you to a page to donate. So I'm encouraging people to go and donate if they want to. And then, yeah, if you're in the Annapolis, Maryland area, our pride is May 31 this year. And so we'll have a parade and festival. We have, I think, 260 community organizations that are going to be there. So it'll be a really great time.
- [50:48]
Patrick Thompson
Yeah. Nice.
- [50:50]
Justin Yoder
Love that. Great, great stuff. And wrapping up. Patrick or Joe, either of you have any final thoughts?
- [50:59]
Patrick Thompson
Well, with all the many, many things that you do and many, many hats that you wear, please continue. Thank you. Also, get some sleep, because I feel like all of your free time is spent making the world a better place, which, I mean, amazing. And again, thank you. But take care of yourself. I do hope that you're enjoying it, because we need this. We need people like you. For sure.
- [51:36]
Justin Yoder
Yeah, definitely.
- [51:39]
Joe Tulin
No, I mean, thank you all for having me. It's been great, kind of connecting. And as we were Sitting here, I realized I have one of the LGBTQ sweatshirts and I should have worn it for this podcast. Oh, wow. But, yeah, like, I've. I've been connected with y'all for a while. I know I haven't really been to any of your events, but I'm. I'm excited to officially be connected and maybe I'll be at the Outdoor Fest this year.
- [52:04]
Patrick Thompson
So, yeah, awesome.
- [52:05]
Justin Yoder
We're going to chat about that. I would. I'd love to get you to come to that, for sure. Very cool.
- [52:11]
Patrick Thompson
Welcome.
- [52:11]
Justin Yoder
Oh, how can people find out about you and follow you and Green Latinos, sure.
- [52:19]
Joe Tulin
So Green Latinos, if you go on any social media, it's just Green Latinos. If you're interested in following Annapolis Pride, it's just Napolis Pride. And then personally on social media, I think it's on all of them. But my handle is my last name to Lynn T O O L A N underscore Joe. And that's where people can find me if they're interested.
- [52:41]
Justin Yoder
That's awesome.
- [52:42]
Joe Tulin
Sweet.
- [52:42]
Justin Yoder
Joe, I want to thank you so much for coming onto the podcast, connecting with us, sharing, sharing about your passions and Earth Day. I hope that everybody gains some knowledge from this and we are very excited to continue our relationship and see where things go in the future. Thank you for everybody that has listened today. We are so grateful that you are a part of the LGBTQ Outdoors family and checking out our podcast. And until next time, get out there. Thanks for listening to the LGBTQ Outdoors Podcast. Catch past episodes on your favorite streaming platforms and connect with us on Instagram or Facebook by searching LGBTQ Outdoors. Support our mission by joining the Trailblazer society@lgbtqoutdoors.com Trailblazers to learn more about our local chapters, LGBTQ Outdoor Fest, adventure trips, or to sign up for our newsletter, visit lgbtqoutdoors. Com. If you enjoy the show, be sure to follow, rate and review. It helps keep our mission going.