Copenhagen’s Pride Parade this year will use 100% electric vehicles in what it understands is the first Pride to take this kind of action.
30 Volvo Trucks have been prepared with trailers, safety fittings, sound systems, toilets, and DJs powered from the truck battery. It’s part of a partnership between the viechele brand Copenhagen Pride, DFDS, and PrideUP.
The move to electric isn’t the only action Copenhagen Pride has taken. Like many events, it switched to reusable cups and biodegradable confetti.
But the organisation says it’s all part of a long-term strategy.
Steve Taylor, Head of Secretariat at Copenhagen Pride, says responding to the climate crisis is a journey rather than a destination:
“The shift to electric trucks in the Copenhagen Pride Parade is one step towards a greener and more sustainable event. For many people, the Pride Parade is synonymous with our organisation – and with good reason! It is loud, colourful, and a political statement for equality.
“This new initiative is also an evident demonstration of our commitment to do our part to secure a better and greener future for all.”
But the action is more than a move to tackle the Pride’s emissions.
The climate crisis’s connection to human rights
It’s part of a wider action within the LGBTQ community that the climate crisis is a human rights issue too.
Copenhagen Pride say they’ve put this top of their agenda after reviewing studies that show LGBTQ people are disproportionately affected by the climate crisis.
The group also says it recognises that reversing the damage done by fossil fuels is a shared responsibility.
This year has seen an increased focus on Pride’s climate credentials.
There are increasing calls for Pride and LGBTQ groups to be more environmentally conscious.
In the last month, the British LGBT+ Awards faced a huge celebrity and community backlash for accepting sponsorships from BP and Shell.
Meanwhile, Pride In London’s pride parade was delayed by Just Stop Oil.Though the actions have divided some, many people in the LGBTQ community recognise the climate crisis is a human rights crisis.
“We can’t view LGBTQ human rights in isolation from other human rights and social justice issues. Climate justice has to be at the top of everyone’s agenda.” Taylor tells me.
“We know that LGBTQ people are often the first to be homeless, the first to be displaced, the first to be victimised when things go wrong, and so we have to take a collective responsibility.”
How will the climate crisis impact the LGBTQ community?
The climate crisis will impact the LGBTQ community disproportionately. That’s largely due to the underlying prejudices and barriers the community faces. But how that looks for the community may be different to other groups.
Still – it will likely exacerbate existing housing instability, food insecurity, and uncertainty about people’s well-being. These are already factors in extreme poverty and homelessness. Something LGBTQ people are much more likely to face due to family estrangement and societal prejudices.
Meanwhile, one University of Texas study found that cancer and respiratory risks, increased by air pollution, are as much as 23.8% greater in the LGBTQ community.
Or, when things get more extreme – studies show transwomen are at greater risk during environmental disasters, partly through a history of being denied access to emergency shelters.
The LGBTQ community aren’t the only part of society recognizing the climate crisis’s connection to their future, who are looking to make sure any future generations are able to grow up in a healthy and safe world for them.
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