LGBTQ+ communities and climate justice discussion

BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. – A discussion of the film “Fire & Flood: Queer Resilience in the Era of Climate Change” will be facilitated by Eva Westheimer from Out in the Open Tuesday, April 27 at 6 p.m. over Rockingham Library Zoom.

“Fire & Flood” tells the story of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and the fires in Santa Rosa, Calif., two-near simultaneous climate-related disasters in the fall of 2017, through the voices of LGBTQ people who lived through them and who were part of the community response. The film explores the vulnerability of LGBTQ communities to climate disasters and lifts up queer and trans strategies for resilience, transition, and survival. It was piloted at the National LGBTQ Task Force’s Creating Change Conference in 2018, with positive feedback on the need for these stories in the LGBTQ movement.

It is highly recommended that attendees watch this film before the discussion. Access to the link and password will be provided to all who request them by emailing programming@rockinghamlibrary.org or by calling the library at 802-463-4270. The film will be available 24/7 up until April 27.

Eva Westheimer, the discussion facilitator, is the programs and volunteer coordinator at Out in the Open in Brattleboro, Vt. She has a background in community organizing and facilitation. Eva has worked in social justice movements for over a decade organizing on issues ranging from environmental and climate justice work, to working to end the Israeli occupation in Palestine and prison abolition work. The discussion will be interactive, will provide space for people to create connections to the film and our communities locally, and will provide a space to hear more about how to get involved with Out in the Open.

Out in the Open is a nonprofit organization that connects rural LGBTQ people to build community, visibility, knowledge, and power. Based in Brattleboro, Vt., it works locally and regionally throughout northern New England.

This event is free and open to the public. To receive an invitation to this Zoom program, email programming@rockinghamlibrary.org or call the library at 802-463-4270. Leave your phone number and email address. For those who do not have a computer, there is an alternative method of joining Zoom through a phone call. Please note that there might be a phone charge for this.

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