to the american flag was this big, beautiful rainbow flag, and i think it was the first time that i encountered a queer environment, queer space, queer community. eventually, i started leading programmes and actually, when i was 16, i started working as a park ranger. i've worked at fire island national seashore now for over ten years. there was this really significant grassroots effort that dates back all the way to the 1930s to actually create a national park, a national seashore, here at fire island. part of that was actually just an attempt to prevent robert moses and new york state from constructing a highway across the length of fire island. robert moses was a polarising urban planner in new york city. he was instrumental in the rapid construction of highways after the great depression. because the island is so narrow, a road across it would have completely reshaped the landscape. it would've threatened unique habitats like the sunken forest. in order to protect these towns, each one with their own really unique history and culture, they turned