A Riddle for Solstice and Pride

Photo by Egor Kamelev

We connect underground with myriad others like and unlike ourselves. Through our vast, branching webs, we communicate with and support each other. If danger approaches, we warn each other in ways that may not be perceptible to others.

Who are we?

Aboveground, our environment both feeds and challenges us. We stand tall, rooted deep, weathering strong winds that threaten to topple us. Sometimes one of us falls. Each beloved one we lose leaves a legacy that nourishes those who come after.

Who are we?

Some of us sport colorful, flamboyant dress. Others present themselves in more subtle, understated ways. We all belong.

Who are we?

We have several genders. You can’t always tell by looking what gender an individual is. Some of us are one gender, some another. Some encompass all genders.

Who are we?

Trees.

Who are we?

Queers.

Summer Solstice and LGBTQIA2S Pride celebrations happen at the same time each year. For many years, I’ve been fascinated by the ways trees live in community and the lessons we humans can learn from them. This Solstice, I’m wearing my Pride T-shirt and exploring queer ecology.

Human minds have created rigid, mutually exclusive binaries that privilege one side of the binary over the other—male/female, white/BIPOC, natural/unnatural, good/evil, humans/nature, civilized/wild, mind/body, and on and on. These ways of thinking and acting have done huge damage on Earth. Queer ecology challenges us to move beyond binaries to a more fluid, interconnected way of experiencing all of life.

From the website of the Institute for Queer Ecology: “Queer communities are uniquely positioned to lead on climate adaptation through embodied strategies already inherent or familiar to queer experiences. On an individual level, queer lives are mutable: we understand change and transformation in intensely personal ways. On a collective level, queer community is mutualistic: it is symbiotic, in-contact, relational; it is a space of eccentric economies and mutual support, of found families and utopian dreams, of care and connection and the net benefits species gift one another.”

Despite the wisdom and resources our queer communities and our urban and rural forests offer, these vital parts of life on Earth are endangered. This Solstice, this Pride Month, make a commitment to connect with, learn from, and stand up for the queer folks and trees in your life. And take some time to reflect on how binary thinking limits you and disrupts your connection with other humans and more-than-human beings.