By Jemima Elliott
Brazilian activist Chico Mendes famously said that “Environmentalism without class struggle is just gardening.” His quote is often used to highlight the necessity for intersectionality within climate activism, so that environmental movements truly fight for intersectional climate justice.
However, it also underestimates the radical power of gardening. What happens when you mix gardening with both class and queer struggles? Spaces like TopSoil emerge. In April 2023, TopSoil began as a safe space for the queer folk of Newcastle to come together in community and garden. Sounds simple when put like that.
TopSoil is based on the principle that gardening is a radical act. It’s an ongoing joke that none of us really know what we’re doing, but we give it a go anyway. We operate on the basis of sharing both our skills and our knowledge, learning from each other, and taking care of each other.
TopSoil is based on the principle that gardening is a radical act. It’s an ongoing joke that none of us really know what we’re doing, but we give it a go anyway. We operate on the basis of sharing both our skills and our knowledge, learning from each other, and taking care of each other.
By Jemima Elliott