Isaias Hernandez is an environmental educator advocating for social justice and accessibility in the environmental movement. [1] He is better known by his Instagram moniker and social media platform, Queer Brown Vegan, where he provides information to his over 120,000 followers [2] about environmental justice, veganism and a zero-waste lifestyle, [3] as well as the intersectionality of social and ecological issues. [4]
Hernandez grew up as a first-generation Mexican American [5] in Sylmar, [6] a low-income neighborhood in Los Angeles, amid heavy traffic and pollution. [7] His firsthand experiences with environmental injustice, such as the disparities in access to clean air and green spaces in Los Angeles, [8] shaped his interest in the environment, social justice, and equity. [9] He went on to earn his B.S. in Environmental Science at the University of California, Berkeley, where he began working on diversity inclusion in environmental and creative spaces. [10]
In November 2019, [11] Hernandez, then 23 years old, created his Instagram account, @queerbrownvegan, as a safe space to make intersectional environmental education more accessible to all, but especially to marginalized groups such as the LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities. [12] [13] His focus stems from the observation that climate change and environmental disasters tend to affect low income people of color the most, [14] but also that the organizations created to help these communities aren't always accepting of LGBTQ+ people. [15] [16] [17]
In January 2023, he appeared on the cover of Vogue alongside Billie Eilish and seven other young environmental activists. [18] Additionally, Hernandez has been featured in numerous publications like The New York Times, [19] Time Magazine, [20] The Boston Globe, [21] The Washington Post, [22] Rolling Stone [23] and Teen Vogue. [24] In 2023, Hernandez received a Trailblazer Award at Verdical Group's annual Net Zero Conference. [25]
Hernandez is based in Los Angeles as a full-time content creator and public speaker. [26]