Gay and Green on Earth Day

Today is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, an apt time to acknowledge the leading role LGBT people play in fostering green consciousness.

According to the San Diego Gay and Lesbian News, "An Echelon Magazine 2009 online survey reports that 'two-thirds (66%) of lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender adults say that it is important to support environmental causes, compared with 56% of non-LGBT adults. Three-quarters (75%) of LGBT adults (compared with 53% of heterosexuals) believe global warming is happening right now, and by more than two-to-one proportions, 39% of LGBT adults say they have seen or read Al Gore's 'An Inconvenient Truth' while only 20% of heterosexuals say they have seen or read it.'"

Gay concern about protecting the environment for future generations is especially admirable given the fewer numbers of gay parents, according to the Gay and Lesbian News,

"Most significant," said Bob Witeck of Echelon, "is the measure of global environmental stewardship. Although LGBT households are not parenting as frequently as our non-gay counterparts, 51% say they are concerned about the planet we are leaving behind for future generations -- compared with 42% of heterosexual adults. This signals a very high sense of community and cooperation that many LGBT citizens know first-hand."