On March 27, students packed into Ingle Auditorium for a unique speech on climate change by Pattie Gonia — a climate activist known for her dual connections to sustainability and drag. The speech was not the only activity on Pattie Gonia’s schedule, having had an exclusive lunch with students before. After the speech concluded, she conducted a meet-and-greet and a rock-climbing session.
Pattie Gonia made an effort to connect with people from the moment she set foot in the PRISM Center, from her lunch with students to the last minutes of the day during rock climbing. “I could imagine no better thing than getting to bring people together around queerness, around climate,” she stated.
At lunch with students, Pattie Gonia led a conversation about finding where one fits as an activist. She guided the students through a discussion concerning their particular talents and passions. The students spoke about how each of them might be able to best apply that to further or support their beliefs. She repeatedly stressed the importance of knowing your own capability to change the world. “People in power want us to believe we can’t affect change, we can’t make change happen. We can.”
Speech
Pattie Gonia’s talk covered many topics regarding climate change and the importance of the national park system. She also discussed the power of the LGBTQ+ community in coming together in a sustainable and supportive manner. However, the speech was made truly special by how Pattie Gonia gave it — in full drag, ending her speech with a dance and lip-sync performance set to various rain-themed songs, and with a bedazzled, confetti-filled umbrella as a prop.
Though the keystone speech she gave was less discussion-based, she still looped the students in many times, repeatedly prompting them to be grateful for each other’s diverse gifts and appreciate how each one of them could work to further a greater cause. Per Pattie Gonia’s request, ushers prompted arriving students to sit as close to the stage as possible to make these interactions easier. They also stated their intention to make the drag performance at the end of the speech more immersive.
Meet-and-Greet
At the meet-and-greet in the RIT MOSAIC Center, Pattie Gonia spoke to a long line of students about varying topics. She and her team then went rock climbing — a feat that impressed many students with her wearing several-inch heels.
When asked about why she chose to bring together drag and sustainability in this unusual way, Pattie Gonia stated, “I love an unlikely duo.” She described how drag has been used to advocate for various causes like the AIDS epidemic, queer rights and more. “For me right now, I want to use drag as a way to communicate and bring together [the] community and fight for the thing that I care about most, which is the climate crisis.”
Pattie Gonia recalled that her first experience with drag had been backpacking a trail in her high-heeled boots. She’d posted the video online only to wake up and realize the video had gone viral. Pattie Gonia described the experience as an “accident.” Stigma around drag and gender would later cause her to lose friends over this choice; however, she described the experience as an overall good one and stated that she was surprised by the number of positive reactions she received online. “The thing that really shocked me … were the hundreds of hundreds of messages I got from people around the world that were women in STEM or queer park rangers being, like, we love what you’re doing.”
When asked about her habit of wearing heels in unusual settings, Pattie Gonia laughed. “Walking in heels outdoors is dumb. It is absolutely a stupid thing to do, and it brings me joy.” Though she does not consider the activity safe, she stated that she personally enjoys it very much. She advised anybody wishing to wear heels in unusual environments, “Have fun and take breaks.”
For students — especially those who might feel overwhelmed or discouraged in the face of opposition to sustainability efforts — Pattie Gonia said she empathized strongly with the feeling. She recommended a walk outside to recharge, stating that she finds that when she is outside, it renews her hope.
Pattie Gonia recommended those who struggle to lean into the safety of teamwork. “I always feel hope when I collaborate with other people… I think collaboration is key.” Pattie Gonia went on to add — especially for those who are queer or otherwise marginalized — that the simple act of joy qualifies as resistance. “Joy begets joy.” She emphasized that happiness should not be dismissed as frivolous. Though it is important to her to fight for what she believes in, Pattie Gonia also stated that it is incredibly valuable to enjoy and celebrate the community that she already has as well.
Finally, Pattie Gonia stated she wanted the RIT community to know that being a nerd is cool. “There are so many nerds here… And keep on being nerds and keep on being gay.”
