The name tree hugger has an interesting history.
A young girl (click here) was reportedly the first to see the loggers coming. It was March 26, 1973, and loggers sent by sporting goods manufacturer the Simon Company were heading for Gopeshwar forest near the tiny village of Reni in Uttarakhand, which was then part of Uttar Pradesh. The girl ran to tell Gaura Devi, a village elder, who summoned dozens of other women to do the only thing they could: place their bodies between the trees and the axes. They hugged the 300 ash trees tightly, telling the loggers that in order to get to the trees they’d have to go through human bodies first. The loggers opted to leave instead. But Devi and the other women remained vigilant.
When the lumbermen tried to go to another village to fell trees, the villagers, inspired by what had happened in Reni, did the same: They hugged the trees in a 24-hour vigil designed to keep them safe. This soon became known as the Chipko andolan, or Chipko movement, from the verb meaning “to stick to.” It’s a movement that would rapidly spread to other parts of India and inspire activism beyond the country, while honoring the world’s first-known tree huggers … also from India. In 1730, villagers from the Bishnoi community 480 miles southwest of Reni embraced trees sacred to their faith to save them after the local king ordered they be felled for the construction of a palace. The king’s soldiers beheaded more than 300 protesters, but the villagers refused to give in. Ultimately, the king apologized and withdrew his decree.
But while the term “tree huggers” has become derogatory slang for those who care more about the environment than practical concerns, the villagers of Reni hugged the trees to preserve their economy....There is this rumor going around that says most tree huggers are queer women. I don't know what exactly is wrong with that, but, I think it is intended as religious bigotry.
I am a conservation biologist, have a focus in botany and marine botany and have worked in the field. I have met "tree sitters" from time to time. The folks that sit in a tree to protect it from being destroyed, but, they are all men. Seriously. Now, they could have been gay men, but, they were far to busy to even mention if they were.
I know many women that are involved in conservation and environmental jobs and some are activists as well. They may be lesbian or bisexual, but, I can't honestly say I ever discussed that with them.
So, the nastiness that obviously exists on the political right in the USA is on full display these days. They want women to defined with long hair and make-up to pretend aging doesn't exist. They also will demonize anything that is not to their liking, including trees and tree huggers.
I never thought I'd see the day when a conservationist would be classified by the political right wing as a queer woman. It is sexist. It is anti-LGBTQI. It is inhumane and intended to hurt people and the natural world they love.
