Closing the Gap

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Brandon Rothrock (he/him) is a queer geographer supporting fellow LGBTQ+ environmentalists as they navigate their careers. Through his research and advocacy, he advances environmental justice for marginalized communities. Brandon’s experience in higher education, sustainability issues, and energy policy demonstrates his commitment to a better world for everyone, especially those historically discriminated against. He uses his connections and knowledge to help advance social change while embracing his identity and communities.

Brandon is also a Board Member for OUT for Sustainability (OUT4S), a U.S.-based non-profit that “co-creates a platform for environmental justice and climate resilience by and for the LGBTQIA+ community.”

Connect with Brandon Rothrock

Website

Resources

Support Out 4 Sustainability

Website

Instagram

Brandon’s Affiliations

Environmental Defense Fund

Agents of Change in Environmental Justice Fellowship

Resources

Just Solutions’ Post on the LGBTQ’s vulnerability to climate change

Black Faces, White Spaces by Carolyn Finney

Fire & Flood DocuSeries

Can’t Stop Change: Queer Climate Stories from the Florida Frontlines

Definitions

LGBTQIA+:stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual and the + symbol stands for other individuals who identify outside of sexual and gender norms

Environmental Justice: a movement to address environmental injustices, including air pollution and land use, that disproportionately harm historically marginalized communities, including Black, Indigenous, People of Color and LGBTQIIA+

We want to hear from you! Email us at closingthegappod@gmail.com

Cover art by Vivian Garcia (@viv_doodles)

Intro and Outro music: Clocks by Smith the Mister (All rights and credit go to Smith the Mister. No copyright infringements intended)

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When we understand what brought us to where we are today, we can decide where to go from here. In this episode, co-hosts Tania Roa + Adriana Maria Medina discuss social justice events in 2023 that led to collective action. As we reflect, we can learn from them and determine our priorities for 2024. It’s a new year, but our struggles are the same.

*Please note: some of the events we discuss include violence, police brutality, and Palestine.

Resources for events mentioned in this episode, and organizations supporting the causes mentioned, are below. Also, as always, scroll to find definitions.

U.S. News

Former Officers Charged in Tyre Nichols' Death
East Palestine, Ohio Train Derailment
Tortuguita Shot Protecting Atlanta Forest
Willow Project for Alaska Campaign

U.S. Organizations to Support

Color of Change

Stop Cop City

Alaska Conservation Foundation

International News

Plastic Crisis and Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Panama's High Court Stops Canadian Mining Attempt
Ecuador Stops Oil Drilling in Amazon
Latest on Palestine and South Africa Sues Israel
Crisis in Sudan
Democratic Republic of Congo Calls for Peace

International Organizations to Support

4Ocean

Amazon Watch

Palestine Children’s Relief Fund

International Rescue Committee

Definitions

Biodiversity: short for biological diversity; it is the variety of life on Earth and includes the variety of genetic, species, and ecosystem levels

Occupation: when one group or country takes control over another territory through force, and the invading group establishes its own law in the now occupied region

Zionism: a nationalist movement that emerged in the 19th century with a goal of establishing a homeland, protected by law, for Jewish people in Palestine - a region roughly corresponding to the Land of Israel in Jewish tradition

Anti Semitism: hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews

Genocide: the intentional destruction of a national, ethnic, or racial group in whole or in part

We want to hear from you! Email us at closingthegappod@gmail.com

Cover art by Vivian Garcia (@viv_doodles)

Intro and Outro music: Clocks by Smith the Mister (All rights and credit go to Smith the Mister. No copyright infringements intended)

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Chi Bailey, lover of God and high quality clothing, expresses his spirituality and fashion taste through his brand Chi qc™. All pieces are upcycled, hand crafted, and sweatshop free, speaking out against the harmful impacts of fast fashion on people and the planet. Low quality clothes produced in mass volumes degrade the environment, mistreat garment workers, and encourage consumers to buy more clothes than they need. Chi shows us another way of living that respects God’s creation.

Chi is of African and Korean descent, and his cultural upbringing also plays a role in his creativity. Chi qc™ inspires us to be more childlike through its Born Again Garments that incorporates colorful, playful designs with deep storytelling.

Closing the Gap recognizes that Charlotte, North Carolina is unceded land of the Cheraw Indigenous people.

Support Chi qc™

Website

Instagram

YouTube

Definitions

Fast fashion - mass-producing trending clothes at a low cost to incentivize consumers to buy quickly, often characterized with cheap quality, environmental pollution, and severely low wages

Upcycling- the process of transforming unwanted or used materials into new products

Slow fashion - an aspect of sustainable fashion and a concept describing the opposite to fast fashion, advocating for clothing manufacturing and consumption that respects people, environment and animals

Fast Fashion Articles

Slow Fashion: For Your Wallet and the Planet (page 4)

Fast Fashion and Its Environmental Impact

The Best Small Businesses in Los Angeles

Work Labor Conditions and Rights Articles

Garment Industry

Coal Mining

Chocolate Industry

Slow fashion brands mentioned

Reformation

Industry of All Nations

We want to hear from you! Email us at closingthegappod@gmail.com

Cover art by Vivian Garcia (@viv_doodles)

Intro and Outro music: Clocks by Smith the Mister (All rights and credit go to Smith the Mister. No copyright infringements intended)

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Closing the Gap co-hosts Tania Roa and Adriana Medina welcome you back to the podcast with a new season: Season 2. To start off the season, Tania discusses her summer living in Colombia and Adriana shares her first impressions of her new home in New York City, unceded land of the Lenape or Lenapehoking people.

Some themes arose from these major moves including authenticity, leaning into change, and being an active participant in one's community.

Resources

Palenque's Famous Band: ⁠Kombilesa Mí⁠

⁠Dr. Shamell Bell of Black Lives Matter⁠

New York City Events

Rest in Power O'Shae Sibley

Eric Adams on NYC Migrants

Eric Adams Investment on NYPD Robot Dogs

NYC Flooding Shutting Down Subways

Definitions

Generational trauma - psychological and emotional wounds that have accumulated over time and transferred to future generations

Gentrification - the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more affluent residents and businesses

Voguing - a type of dance that imitates the characteristic poses struck by a model on a runway (history of voguing)

Liberation - freedom from oppression, or freedom from limits on thought or behavior

We want to hear from you! Email us at closingthegappod@gmail.com.

Cover art by Vivian Garcia (@viv_doodles)

Intro and Outro music: Clocks by Smith the Mister (All rights and credit go to Smith the Mister. No copyright infringements intended)

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It's our last episode of Season 1! Tania & Adriana take time to reflect on the past season and celebrate the beautiful, progress-oriented community we've all built - that includes you! We then discuss something very close to our hearts: what it's like to live in the United States when you lack certain powers or privileges, and when you possess others. The mixed emotions including frustration, despair, and the urge to take action are ones many people experience. By sharing our perspectives, we hope to inspire you to share your story. It's time for us minorities, or marginalized/underrepresented people, to take up space and show up for our communities.

Definitions:Reparations - making amends through financial compensation or other means to try to right wrongs

Organizations to support:

Regional-Based Organizations

⁠Little Miss Flint

Trans Defense Fund Los Angeles

National-Based Organizations

United We Dream

Indigenous Peoples Movement

Movement for Black Lives

Dear Asian Youth

We want to hear from you! Email us at closingthegappod@gmail.com

Cover art by Vivian Garcia (@viv_doodles)

Intro and Outro music: Clocks by Smith the Mister (All rights and credit go to Smith the Mister. No copyright infringements intended)

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Meet our first international guest: Heizal Patricia Nagginda of Uganda. Heizal founded Climate Operation to create a place where all people can learn about the climate crisis, how it impacts them, and what they can do to address it. Climate Operation began as a regional hub and is now an international space that has reached thousands of people. To promote creativity and accessibility, Climate Operation uses different mediums to get the message across, including tool kits and comic books. In all of her work, Heizal highlights the connections between climate and social justice, such as the effects weather extremes have on people who contributed the least to greenhouse gas emissions, yet are feeling the worst impacts of climate change.

Climate Operation:

Website

Climate Education Directory

11th Hour Climate Education Comic Book

Follow Climate Operation on Instagram

Other Resources:

Tania’s article on climate migration

Tania & Heizal’s chat on Indigenous voices in conservation

How to take climate action venn diagram

We want to hear from you! Email us at closingthegappod@gmail.com

Cover art by Vivian Garcia (@viv_doodles)

Intro and Outro music: Clocks by Smith the Mister (All rights and credit go to Smith the Mister. No copyright infringements intended)

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Gentrification impacts communities around the world. It can lead to increased cost of living, displacement of long-term residents, and discriminatory behavior. We analyze gentrification trends in México City, Puerto Vallarta, and California and use them as examples of a larger issue. To allocate resources fairly, policies and practices should be created and implemented by local communities rather than foreign investors, who tend to prioritize profit over people's well-being. As travelers and as immigrants, we acknowledge that by us moving to new areas we influence the local culture, and we can do so in a way without uprooting the lives of those who were there before us. ("Gente" means "people" in Spanish)

At Closing the Gap we acknowledge that the above-mentioned places lie on Indigenous land.

Speak up for Iran:

Mohsen Shekari

Middle East Matters Action Items

Resources:

Community Land & Investment Trusts Explained

Rent control groups: @housingjustice4all, @streetwatchla, @latenats, @oaklandtenatsunion

Definitions:

Gentrification - the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more affluent residents and businesses

Digital Nomad - people who travel while working remotely using technology and the internet

We want to hear from you! Email us at closingthegappod@gmail.com

Cover art by Vivian Garcia (@viv_doodles)

Intro and Outro music: Clocks by Smith the Mister (All rights and credit go to Smith the Mister. No copyright infringements intended)

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Students Ahsha Jones and Chloe Serrano founded Melanated Youth, a BIPOC youth-led coalition that uplifts members of the community who need it most. The coalition provides resources and organizes demonstrations to end inequality on all fronts through mutual aids, protests, and discourse. Ahsha and Chloe are based in Orange County, California, but they plan to expand the coalition's impact across the nation. This action-led group relies on the support of fellow community members who volunteer, donate, or participate in Melanated Youth's events. Their anti-oppression efforts are "by the people, for the people."

Melanated Youth and Closing the Gap acknowledge that Orange County lies on unceded Tongva land.

Melanated Youth Resources:

Website

Social Media - Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn

Donate💛

Support Iranian Protests:

Middle East Matters Action Items

Definitions:

Decolonize - to free from the dominating influence of a colonizing power

AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander)

Femicide - an extreme form of gender-based violence where women are killed because they are female

Xenophobic - prejudice against people from other countries

We want to hear from you! Email us at closingthegappod@gmail.com

Cover art by Vivian Garcia (@viv_doodles)

Intro and Outro music: Clocks by Smith the Mister (All rights and credit go to Smith the Mister. No copyright infringements intended)

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Sergio Maldonado is a Counseling Psychology Ph.D. student at Purdue University from Pomona, California. His research examines therapeutic experiences of the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated community to find culturally-relevant practices that provide support during life after incarceration. As a therapist in training, Sergio has worked with people from a variety of backgrounds, including rural communities, refugees, and factory workers. Sergio advocates for more accessibility to therapy, especially for low-income and other underserved communities, and speaks out against practices in the psychological field that perpetuate biases and prevent therapists from fully serving their clients.

Sergio’s Work:

Sergio’s LinkedIn

Interview by HOMIE HEART Check

Partner organizations:

McNair Scholars Program

Prison Education Project

We want to hear from you! Email us at closingthegappod@gmail.com

Cover art by Vivian Garcia (@viv_doodles)

Intro and Outro music: Clocks by Smith the Mister (All rights and credit go to Smith the Mister. No copyright infringements intended)

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People of Latin American descent can identify as Hispanic, Latino/a, Latinx, Latine, or Chicano/a/x. Others prefer to identify as Indigenous as a way to reclaim their roots. Others identify according to their nationality(ies), such as Colombian-American or Mexican-American, to speak out against terms that group multiple countries and cultures together. Identifying under multiple hierarchical systems, and according to two or more different cultures, can be confusing, but also powering. Many of these terms aren't perfect, but they all express the desire for members of the Latin diaspora to organize, mobilize, and advocate for their rights. When we learn about the history of each term, we grow appreciation and understanding for the struggle to find community and belonging.

Resources:

Raíces Verdes (featuring host Samara)

We want to hear from you! Email us at closingthegappod@gmail.com

Cover art by Vivian Garcia (@viv_doodles)

Intro and Outro music: Clocks by Smith the Mister (All rights and credit go to Smith the Mister. No copyright infringements intended)

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Meet Veronica Castillo and Miguel Venegas of Our Paper Trails. Four years ago, this power couple decided to transform their lifestyle and live in a van to reach their traveling and financial goals (they just paid off their student loans - woot woot!).

Joining the vanlife and nomadic communities changed how Vero & Miguel approach life choices, from what they purchase to how they become better allies. Even in the outdoors, representation, inclusivity, and diversity is important to ensure that everyone feels safe and welcome. Vero & Miguel are transparent about their struggles with vanlife, how the nomadic community only recently began embracing more diversity, and their undeterred dedication to get out on the road. Although it hasn't always been easy, Our Paper Trails proves we can all fulfill our dreams with the right amount of risk, effort, and support.

Follow Our Paper Trails:

Our Paper Trails Instagram

Our Paper Trails YouTube

Resources:

Diversify Vanlife Website

Diversify Vanlife on Instagram

Definitions:

Nomadic - a community without fixed habitation made up of people who regularly move to another area

Minimalism - a tool to rid yourself of life’s excess in favor of focusing on what’s important

We want to hear from you! Email us at closingthegappod@gmail.com

Cover art by Vivian Garcia (@viv_doodles)

Intro and Outro music: Clocks by Smith the Mister (All rights and credit go to Smith the Mister. No copyright infringements intended)

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Pride month is every month! Sabine Maxine Lopez, founder of A Tribe Called Queer, discusses how her Instagram page grew to a brand and now a nonprofit organization. This platform creates and shares resources for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and LGBTQIA+ (see definition below) communities including mental health services, book clubs, clothing swaps, legal advice, wellness events, and much more. As a small team, Sabine and Melba are limited in their reach and resource offerings. To grow its team and impact, A Tribe Called Queer needs funding, like so many other nonprofits, and that's where the power of community comes in. Support this incredible organization and their life-changing work today by giving them a follow, donating to their fundraiser, and getting involved (links below!).

A Tribe Called Queer Links:

Website

Instagram

Twitter

Fundraiser

Partner Links:

Peace Over Violence

Oasis Legal Services

ProjectQ

Definitions:

LGBTQIA2S+

Rainbow washing

We want to hear from you! Email us at closingthegappod@gmail.com

Cover art by Vivian Garcia (@viv_doodles)

Intro and Outro music: Clocks by Smith the Mister (All rights and credit go to Smith the Mister. No copyright infringements intended)

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American scholar and civil rights advocate Kimberlé Crenshaw coined the term "intersectionality" in 1989 as a way to describe what Black women are subjected to. Recently, this theory has received mainstream attention as people from other marginalized communities, from Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) and people who identify as LGBTQ+, are using it to describe what they experience. In this episode, we discuss why we appreciate this term and often use it to discuss social justice issues, how it has helped us see the world differently, and its contribution to our own lives.

Resources:

Kimberlé Crenshaw: The urgency of intersectionality

Follow Kimberlé on Instagram

Organizations to support:

Stop Asian Hate

Black Lives Matter

The Trevor Project (for LGBTQ+ mental health)

Voto Latino

We want to hear from you! Email us at closingthegappod@gmail.com

Cover art by Vivian Garcia (@viv_doodles)

Intro and Outro music: Clocks by Smith the Mister (All rights and credit go to Smith the Mister. No copyright infringements intended)

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Meet Warren "Dzign" Dickson, hip hop artist from Watts, California who combines his love for music, community, and the environment through education and advocacy. Warren highlights the connections between different social causes, specifically, racial justice, wildlife conservation, and environmental protection, to emphasize the need for all of us to join together to create change. As someone who has witnessed local wildlife struggle to adapt to urban areas, and communities of color lack the resources they need to survive and thrive, Warren knows firsthand the urgency of addressing environmental and social causes simultaneously. Through his music, Warren uses hip hop culture as a way to relate to others while spreading awareness for all of the above.

Warren's Work:

3rd Rock Hip Hop

3rd Rock Hip Hop's Instagram

If I Was Wild (Music Video)

Community Partners:

Sisters of Watts

Still Waters Network

Environmental Partners:

Sierra Club

National Wildlife Federation

Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing

We want to hear from you! Email us at closingthegappod@gmail.com

Cover art by Vivian Garcia (@viv_doodles)

Intro and Outro music: Clocks by Smith the Mister (All rights and credit go to Smith the Mister. No copyright infringements intended)

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In light of Russia's attack on Ukraine, Tania & Adriana discuss the impacts war has on citizens. Ukraine is gaining a lot of international attention, and while we are glad the media and governments are responding to this attack, we can't help but question why this situation is receiving such rapid responses. Refugees in other countries, including Syria, Yemen, and Afghanistan, have also needed international help for years, and have yet to receive the same amount of aid as Ukrainians did in a matter of days. By addressing these unfair international policies, and by advocating for all people forced to flee their homes, we hope to spread compassion and understanding.

Organizations to support:

Choose Love

Refugees International

Refuge Point

International Refugee Assistance Project

We want to hear from you! Email us at closingthegappod@gmail.com

Cover art by Vivian Garcia (@viv_doodles)

Intro and Outro music: Clocks by Smith the Mister (All rights and credit go to Smith the Mister. No copyright infringements intended)

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Hi everyone! Welcome to our first episode! Meet your hosts Tania and Adriana. We talk about our Latinx backgrounds, immigrant parents, and what inspired us to create this podcast on Closing the Gap(s) in society through social justice, healing, and taking action.

We want to hear from you! Email us at closingthegappod@gmail.com

Cover art by Vivian Garcia (@viv_doodles)

Intro and Outro music: Clocks by Smith the Mister (All rights and credit go to Smith the Mister. No copyright infringements intended)

Closing the Gap: Recent Episodes