Q&A: Celebrate Pride with DC’s Gay for Good | Article

Happy Pride Month! This month at EESI, we are committed to celebrating diverse identities and relationships while also recognizing the important contributions the LGBTQ+ community has made for equality, conservation, and environmental justice.

EESI sat down with the leaders of D.C.’s chapter of Gay For Good to discuss the organization’s work and why LGBTQ+ representation is so important in the environmental space. Gay For Good (G4G) is a volunteer organization active in 17 cities across the United States. Through various social and environmental community service projects, Gay For Good aims to strengthen communities, promote diversity, and foster inclusion.

Below is our conversation with G4G DC Chapter Leader David Clark and G4G DC Officer Marcello Morgan.

Q: Can you briefly tell us about the work Gay for Good does?

G4G members at a river clean-up.

Clark: Gay for Good is an organization that mobilizes LGBTQ+ volunteers in their local communities. Our D.C. chapter identifies and connects with local nonprofits that serve a wide range of causes—especially youth, food security, homeless assistance, and the environment.

Originally founded in Los Angeles (after the failure of Marriage Equality in 2008 with Prop 8), G4G has sought to improve LGBTQ+ perceptions of individuals and organizations that have had little to no interaction with our community—primarily through local service projects. And since then, we've expanded to 17 chapters nationwide!

Q: How is this work building more inclusive communities?

Morgan: I think the work that G4G does helps to build more inclusive communities by being present and not only showing our willingness to work with others but also showing our diversity within the gay community and the impact we have on making our world a better place.

Clark: We also actively seek to partner with organizations that aren't traditionally associated with the LGBQ+ community, like church soup kitchens and river clean-ups to name a few.

Q: Why did you decide to join G4G DC, and then the leadership team? What drew you to this work?

Morgan: When I discovered G4G after moving to the D.C. area, I was looking for an organization that was focused on community service because I wanted to use some of my free time to give back to the community. After attending several events and meeting several people on the leadership team, I was happy to become a part of the team to work further with planning our monthly events and projects.

Q: What environmental projects are in the works for the G4G DC chapter?

Clark: During the pandemic, we shifted a lot of our focus to outdoor events—where attendees could safely socially distance. So that's included a lot of park and river clean-up projects—partnering with organizations like Washington Parks and People and Potomac Conservancy.

Morgan: We're also looking into how we can potentially work with community food gardens in the area.

Q: How does G4G DC encourage sustainable practices in surrounding communities?

G4G members cleaning up the D.C. community.

Morgan: I think G4G DC encourages sustainable practices by partnering with environmentally-focused organizations to learn the importance of green and sustainable initiatives and to spread the word.

In addition, our work with homeless shelters and organizations that serve those who are housing insecure allows us to help with organizing clothing and other donations for those in need.

Q: Why is it important to have queer representation in social and environmental issues?

Morgan: As with everything, it's important to have LGBTQ+ representation to increase exposure to the community-at-large and provide examples of how we, in the LGBTQ+ community, add positivity and provide a voice for those who may need to see "a person like me" to know that they are not alone in the world. We also need to show that we care about other social and environmental issues that affect our community as a whole.

Q: Anything else to add?

Clark: We're always looking for new organizations to partner with—to expand G4G's presence across the D.C. Metro Area. So if you have an idea for a great service project and a passion for volunteering, then we'd love to have you join us!

Author: Sydney O’Shaughnessy