Along with Pride in Agriculture stories I\u2019m sharing from LGBTQ+ people and allies in agriculture and rural communities, I\u2019ve had the opportunity to connect with journalists to elevate these topics. Modern Farmer<\/a> recently interviewed me to learn more about how we\u2019re creating a community for queer farmers, one social media post (and conversation) at a time.<\/em><\/p>\n Ryan Goodman launched his \u2018Pride in Agriculture\u2019 campaign to change and grow the industry into something more inclusive and creates community for queer farmers. \u2013 originally written and published by Lindsay Campbell for Modern Farmer<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Ryan Goodman understands the weight that words can carry. He\u2019s seen how thoughtful conversations can make a positive impact in a world he feels has become increasingly polarized.\u00a0<\/p>\n Goodman, who raises cattle in Virginia\u2019s Blue Ridge Mountains with his partner Aaron, is part of the LGBTQ+ community. And he\u2019s long felt there needs to be more effort by the food and agriculture sector to ensure diverse groups feel there\u2019s a place for them.\u00a0<\/p>\n This Pride Month seemed like a good time to try to influence change. For the last few weeks, Goodman has taken to\u00a0Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0Instagram<\/a>,\u00a0and\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0to share and celebrate the stories of other members in the queer community who are making contributions in agriculture. He\u2019s also used it as an opportunity to engage with keyboard warriors and others who oppose his mission.<\/p>\n Goodman spoke with\u00a0Modern Farmer\u00a0<\/em>about the campaign and why he generally believes often the smallest actions can have the biggest impact. He shares his hopes for the future and offers advice to folks in agriculture who may have reservations about fully embracing their sexuality or gender identity.\u00a0<\/p>\n The following interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.<\/em><\/p>\n Ryan Goodman: I\u2019ve been having these conversations both formally and informally for a number of years now. It started in 2020 when my employer at the time had released a culture document without mention of diversity or inclusion. I spoke to him about it and I was told that if I didn\u2019t like it, I should leave. They weren\u2019t interested in having a conversation of recognizing diverse people\u2014not just LGBTQ+ people, but race, religion or gender.<\/p>\n For Pride Month, I really wanted to help improve the visibility of LGBTQ+ people in agriculture and rural communities. I want to spark productive discussion about the diversity in our communities and what it means to be an ally. I hope I can inspire some of\u00a0our industry organizations and associations to evaluate their policies, their organizational culture and how inclusive they are, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n MF:<\/strong>\u00a0You engage with folks who are critical of what you are doing. There are a lot of people asking \u2018why do we need a month for this?<\/em>\u2019 or \u2018why can\u2019t we just do our jobs and just put our heads down and not make this an issue<\/em>?\u2019 How do you respond?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n RG: I try to respond to the issue, not the person. A person that\u2019s coming to argue, I know I\u2019m not going to change their mind in one conversation. That being said, I\u2019ve had people who\u2019ve sent direct messages to me to follow up and we\u2019ve had productive conversations. It\u2019s critically important for people who feel attacked by negative comments to see there is support for them but also a way to respond thoughtfully.\u00a0<\/p>\n For those people that say we shouldn\u2019t have a full month: We have celebrations like this all the time that aren\u2019t exclusive. It\u2019s Dairy Month, too, and we\u2019re all celebrating that in the food and agriculture sector. But I think there is a large argument to be made, knowing that historically LGBTQ+ voices haven\u2019t been heard or have been minimized. This puts emphasis on the importance of dedicating a month to have these conversations.\u00a0<\/p>\n RG:<\/strong>\u00a0It looks different for everyone, but often it\u2019s about the small actions. For example, if we\u2019re at an event and someone sees a ring on my finger and says, \u2018How\u2019s your wife?,\u2019 being an ally is being aware of how we ask things, acknowledging diversity and that not everyone is in a heterosexual relationship. A different way to ask that would be: \u2018How\u2019s your spouse or your partner or your family?\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s also about being visible. This doesn\u2019t mean you have to walk around with a rainbow on your clothes. It can be as simple as speaking up when you hear someone making a negative comment. Talking peer-to-peer can be one of the biggest influences on what is perceived as acceptable and how we view the world.<\/p>\n RG:\u00a0 We have a lot of diverse voices in our industry, especially when it comes to the finishing and processing stages. Those diverse voices are often not treated with equity or represented in leadership positions within the sector or in our farming associations. That can go a long way in solving our inclusion and equity problems in our industry.<\/p>\n MF: Is there a person, place or organization that is excelling in their efforts to create community for LGBTQ+ folks and other diverse groups?<\/p>\n![\"community](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/prideinagriculture.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/8f637-ryan-goodman-pride-in-agriculture-diversity.jpg?resize=1620%2C1080&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\nWhy do we need Pride in Agriculture?<\/h2>\n
What does being an ally in agriculture look like?\u00a0<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/prideinagriculture.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/9f55d-ryan-goodman-pride-in-agriculture-lgtbq.jpg?resize=3264%2C2448&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\nIn what ways could the agriculture industry improve upon inclusivity?\u00a0<\/h2>\n