4 LGBTQ+ Warriors in Wildlife Conservation You Should Know

Happy Pride everyone! I thought I would celebrate by sharing LGBTQIA+ wildlife warriors who have impacted wildlife conservation over the years. As we all know, members of the rainbow posse haven’t always (and still often aren’t) been fully accepted or appreciated in their line of work. Science and wildlife conservation is no exception. Let’s take the time to celebrate these accomplishments!

Frances Benjamin Johnston (1864 – 1952)

Frances Benjamin Johnston’s self-portrait as “New Woman” in 1896

Not a lot is known about Johnston, though the impact they made was huge. The only surviving child of a wealthy couple in Washington DC, Johnston became one of the United States’ first photographers and photojournalists, and the first woman to do so. Johnston was highly educated for women at the time as a college graduate and was trained in photography and dark-room techniques by Thomas Smillie, director of photography at the Smithsonian.

Johnston pictured in male drag, self-portrait 1890

Johnston photographed multiple presidential families, black and indigenous workers, and various untraditional female portraits. This included self-portraits of themself in male drag or “unladylike” portraits with skirts hoisted, a beer in one hand, and a cigarette in the other. Johnston called the latter of these portraits New Woman which caused quite a stir in Victorian United States. Johnston’s most notable work was the first clear photographical evidence of the famous Mammoth Cave in Kentucky in 1891, the world’s largest cave system. The 25 photos were featured in their article Mammoth Cave by Flashlight which was highly praised worldwide.

Bacon Chamber in Mammoth Cave as part of Johnston’s “Mammoth Cave by Flashlight”, 1892

It is unknown exactly what Johnston’s sexual or gender orientation was (which is why I chose they/them pronouns for this article). They never married (highly unusual for the time) and did not appear to have any romantic relationships with men. However, their most notable relationship was with Mattie Edwards Hewitt who lived with and worked with them for quite some time. Historians argue they were simply “close friends.” *audible eye roll*

Rachel Carson (1907 – 1964)

Rachel Carson’s US Fish and Wildlife staff photo, 1940

Rachel Carson was a US marine biologist, conservationist, and author. Born on a farm in Pennsylvania, she began writing at a young age and had her first story published at the age of ten. Carson mostly wrote about animals. Carson received her bachelor’s in Biology, master’s in zoology, and was on her way to get her doctorate when the Great Depression hit, causing her to return home. There, she began writing and recording multiple weekly broadcasts for the US Bureau of Fisheries called Romance Under the Waters as well as publishing articles on marine life to publications all over the east coast. Carson became Chief Editor at the US Fish and Wildlife Service in 1949 and conducted oceanic field research throughout her life.

Rachel Carson with Bob Hines conducting field research on the Atlantic Coast, 1952

Carson met her literary agent Marie Rodell in 1948 whom she had a close professional relationship with for the rest of her writing career. Rodell helped publish some of Carson’s most notable books such as The Sea Around Us, The Edge of the Sea, and Under the Sea Wind. This trilogy explores the whole of ocean life from shore to depths. Later, Carson published Silent Spring, which brought national attention to the US’s use of synthetic pesticides and sparked social movements in the 1960s.

Carson had a secret romantic relationship with Dorothy Freeman in which they mainly communicated through letters. Over 12 years, the two had exchanged over 900 letters which were later published in the book Always, Rachel after her death. Carson would send Freeman two letters at a time: a friendly one to show her husband, and an intimate one to be destroyed. After Carson’s death, Freeman would receive half of her ashes and scattered them along the coast in Sheepscot Bay, Maine.

Dr. Clyde Wahrhaftif (1919 – 1994)

Dr. Clyde Wahrhaftig

Dr. Clyde Wahrhaftif was an American geologist, professor at University of California Berkeley, environmentalist, and LGBTQIA+ leader known for his field guides to the geology of the San Francisco Bay area. He earned his Bachelor’s and Doctorate in geology, working most of his life in Alaska with the US Geological Survey, but also worked in the Sierra Nevada and the California Coast Ranges. Dr. Wahrhaftif worked closely with the US National Park system to improve their understanding of geological features in the Golden Gate National Recreational Area and Yosemite National Park.

Dr. Wahrhaftig’s hand colored topographical map of the Mono Craters and glacial deposits just outside Yosemite National Park

Though closeted for most of his life, Dr. Wahrhaftif came out publicly in 1989 and pushed for more LGBTQIA+ representation and inclusion in science. He also worked to create more opportunities for people of color in geology. He was also part of the first wave of scientists to discuss the effect of climate change in the 1960s.

Dr. Wahrhaftif met his partner, Dr. Allan Cox, while doing field research in Alaska. Their combined research called Rock Glaciers in the Alaskan Range spurred further study in the area. They worked together for the majority of the rest of Dr. Wahrhaftif’s life.

Dr. Clyde Wahrhaftif, quite honestly, did more for environmentalism and activism than I can include in this article (if I wanted to keep it shorter than a novel at least!). You can check out more of his work here.

David Mizejewski

David Mizejewski with an owl

David Mizejewski is a naturalist, tv personality, and spokesperson for The National Wildlife Federation. You may recognize him from his frequent appearances on talk shows such as Good Morning America, Conan, Today, and others as a wildlife expert. He also hosted Animal Planet’s Backyard Habitat, National Geographic’s Pet Talk, and my personal favorite, Unlikely Animal Friends. He has also worked as a wildlife consultant for motion pictures movies such as Hoot, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Where the Wild Things Are. He’s even been featured on RuPaul’s Drag Race!

Mizejewski with a Burmese python on Conan

When MizejewLikeski first started his career, he was not out publicly. However, he was given the honor of being on Out Magazine’s Out 100 List in 2005. By accepting this honor, he chose to make the fact that he is gay public knowledge and part of his professional identity.

Mizejewski is still working today as an advocate for wildlife and teaching others to respect the nature and animals around them.