6 Birding Communities to Help you Celebrate Pride Month

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BirdNote is happy to join a global community in celebrating June as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Pride Month, a month dedicated to uplifting LGBTQ+ voices, celebrating LGBTQ+ culture, and supporting LGBTQ+ rights. 

For many, birding is better when we’re able to participate in a welcoming environment that gives us a sense of belonging and community. BirdNote has compiled a list of opportunities to help LGBTQ+ birders and allies find comfortable spaces to facilitate conversations and participate in events based on a shared interest in birds and a dedication to inclusivity.

1. Queer Birders of North America: according to their Facebook group, Queer Birders of North America is “an informal club intended to facilitate communication among LGBTQ+ birders and their allies in North America and Hawaii.”
    
2. The Feminist Bird Club promotes inclusivity in birding and provides “a safe opportunity for members of the LGBTQIA+ community, BIPOC, and women to connect with the natural world.” They have chapters and “sibling clubs” around the world, but the group’s New York City chapter was recently featured on a BirdNote Daily episode!
    
3. The Gay Birders Club is based in the UK. They formed in 1994 and aim to bring LGBTQ+ birders together through a number of events.
    
4. NYC Queer Birders is a queer birding group based in Brooklyn. According to their Instagram page, they meet monthly “to explore the natural world of NYC and the birds who live there!”
    
5. The Philly Queer Birders group started in March 2021 “as a way to create queer community, learn about our feathered friends, and explore all the great birding that Philadelphia has to offer.” According to their website, they typically meet monthly and hold events throughout the city.
    
6. National Audubon Society’s “Let’s Go Birding Together” bird walks and other LGBTQ inclusive activities, for those “who identify as LGBTQ, allies, families, and anyone who wants to enjoy an outdoor experience that is inclusive.” To learn more and to find out if there’s an event near you, visit this page.

Do you know of another great opportunity for birders to join a welcoming and inclusive environment? Let us know by emailing [email protected].

Read more about the history of Pride Month here: https://www.loc.gov/lgbt-pride-month/about/

^{Painted Bunting © Mick Thompson}