OUT for Sustainability

Thank you to the #LGBTI Stakeholder Group for the invitation to their side event last week at the sidelines of this year's #HLPF where we had the opportunity to review #SDG 1, 2, 12, 16, and 17 from a #queer perspective. During my intervention, I had the opportunity to show the data we have collected at OUT for Sustainability regarding the intersections between #proverty, #foodsecurity, and #climatechange, and the differentiated impacts in regards to #humandisplacement, as well as the importance of upholding countries to their #HumanRights and #NDC commitments to ensure inclusive and equitable #climateaction. Thank you very much to my fellow panelists Lawrence Shone Edem Adjei Lilit Avetisyan sarita kc and Caleb Orozco for their brilliance, as well as to our extraordinary moderator Rashima Kwatra (she/her) and event coordinator Maria Aïcha Boumeddiene With only 17% of the agenda on track, we cannot afford to go one step backward, especially not without those we are leaving behind.

Our latest episode on Closing the Gap podcast features the incredible Brandon Rothrock, board member of OUT for Sustainability ✨ Brandon is a queer geographer dedicated to research and advocacy that advances environmental justice for marginalized communities. He embraces his LGBTQIA+ identity and supports his communities through sustainable energy policy. We discussed barriers for LGBTQIA+ individuals in the environmental field, how climate justice exacerbates discrimination against LGBTQIA+ communities, and what we can all do to support the queer community year-round. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or online: https://lnkd.in/eCzwVA42

My First Podcast Episode ✅ I am super excited to have been a guest on Closing the Gap, a #socialjustice podcast dedicated to sharing stories and perspectives aimed at addressing social gaps. I talk about #LGBTQIA+ inclusion in the environmental movement 🌈, my position as a Board Member for OUT for Sustainability, and how I first found #geography as a student at Penn State University. Thank you to Tania Roa, MSc and Adriana Medina for having me! Podcast 🔗: https://tr.ee/sammFhe3OB

Check out OUT for Sustainability statement on the occasion of the 2024 High-level Political Forum #HLPF review of #SDG13 #CliamteAction. It is deeply concerning that only 17% of #SDG remains on track, with climate showing no improvement. Only through an intersectional approach will we be able to deliver inclusive, equitable, sustainable development that truly leaves no one behind. #ClimateChange #SustainableDevelopmnet #UnitedNations #intersectionality #LGBTI #Lesbian #Gay #Bisexual #Trangender #Intersex #Queer #LGBTIStakeholderGroup Diego de Leon Segovia

Check out the latest Commission for Environmental Cooperation discussion paper on #environmentaljustice for #LGBTQ communities across North America

It was a great honor to join on behalf of OUT for Sustainability the Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights #SRHR #ClimateJustice Coalition side event for #SB60 a couple of weeks ago, organized by the Sex & Samfund / Danish Family Planning Association, Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women (ARROW), and Women Deliver. Sexual and reproductive #health is at the core of inclusive climate action. It is the intersection point that brings together the needs and experiences of everyone being affected by #ClimateChange and, therefore, the key to inclusive and equitable #CliamteAction. Together with the colleges of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Women Deliver, Women's Environment & Development Organization, and YOUNGO, we reviewed the Gender Action Plan and its significance to the implementation of other intersections linked to health, including climate finance, women's rights, gender transformative policies, youth and child development, and LGBTQ+ communities. One particular point that stuck was the recent analysis conducted by #UNFPA that identified that 38 countries have integrated sexual and reproductive health rights into their National Determined Contributions (#NDC), of which 3 already address issues on #SOGISEC. This gives me great hope that we will have a base to continue working forward. Not a single step backward! Link to the study (and QR below to regional reports): https://lnkd.in/emN2w3jK Special thanks to Menka Goundan Lene Terp Beuchet Lisbet Dinsen Chiagozie Obuekwe Eleanor Blomstrom Tara E. Daniel Maliha Khan Ayshka Najib for making this event possible.

Check out our #SB60 gender negotiation summary and outcome. Thank you Diego de Leon Segovia for your leadership on this initiative

One of my personal highlights of this year's #UNFCCC #SB60 meetings was, without doubt, participating in Gender and Environment Data Alliance (GEDA)' s side event. On behalf of OUT for Sustainability I had to honor sharing the stage with colleagues from the Women's Environment & Development Organization, La Ruta del Clima, Development Initiatives, and International Institute for Sustainable Development to speak on the importance and our collective experience working on gender-disaggregated data across the globe. During my intervention, I had the opportunity to speak of regional efforts in North America and the Southern Pacific Ocean to enhance understanding of the differentiated impacts, needs and experiences of climate change and #LGBTQ people using as example the research developed by incredible organizations such as Edge Effect, ReportOUT and the Commission for Environmental Cooperation. Special thanks to Leo Goldsmith and Brandon Rothrock for also providing examples from Out4S. Also thank you to Marianne Gilchrist for being such a gracious moderator, and especially to Claudia Rubio Giraldo for making all this possible! All materials and recordings are available here: https://lnkd.in/eZMtJ6aW

Check out our statement regarding the recent report on promoting and protecting all human rights in the context of climate change recently published by Elisa Morgera, Special Rapporteur on #ClimateChange, and the subsequent interactive dialogue that took place during the 56th Session of the  #UN #HumanRights Council (#HRC56) that took place on Tuesday, July 2. This landmark report is timely and significantly advances the holistic consideration of human rights in relation to climate change. We applaud the focus on intersectionality, highlighting good practices, gaps, and challenges in protecting human rights amid climate impacts. We echo the call for governments to integrate human rights standards into their climate policies, ensuring that climate action respects and promotes human rights. Ms. Morgera emphasized the importance of considering human rights as integral to climate action, not an add-on. Recognizing the lived experiences of those most affected by climate change is crucial. Both quantitative and qualitative data are essential in addressing intersectionality. We support the call for genuine participation of vulnerable communities in decision-making processes. Despite resource challenges, multi-stakeholder collaboration is key. We urge Ms. Morgera to continue highlighting successful cases of intersectionality, especially those led by civil society. We appreciate the explicit mention of LGBTI people in the report but note the lack of references to mechanisms addressing climate-related discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. We encourage further exploration of this intersection with relevant experts. We fully endorse the recommendations of the Special Rapporteur's report and look forward to engaging in the 2024 consultations. #HumanRights #ClimateAction #Intersectionality #Out4Sustainability Link to the report: https://lnkd.in/eV7VVDaG Link to the interactive dialogue (part 1): https://lnkd.in/eGbEBYMn Link to the interactive dialogue (part 2): https://lnkd.in/ePsAzchH

Thank you to the Global Environment Facility gender team for hosting me on behalf of OUT for Sustainability in last week's meeting, together with the most brilliant and active minds working towards inclusive and equitable climate action. The room was buzzing with great ideas, which left me greatly optimistic about what is to come during the next disbursement cycle across all multilateral financial institutions. During my brief remarks, I had the opportunity to speak on the challenges we have identified the LGBTQ+ community faces in terms of lack of access and administrative capacity of climate finance, which is rooted in the discrimination our population faces across the globe, as well as on the lack of financial flows to address queer-sensitive climate mitigation and adaptation. On that note, I shared about the fiscal sponsorship program of Out4S and the impact it has had on the readiness and access of funding in places prone to vulnerability across the US. The group also spoke thoroughly about the importance of disaggregated data and the multiple barriers to obtaining it. Special thanks to Verona Collantes-Lebale and Uxue Urteaga Ruiz de Viñaspre for their outstanding leadership.