“Seals come up and greet us,” Angulo said. “It’s life-affirming for us to be able to be out in community and protest, but also by feeling joyful at the same time.”
The non-violent activism organization, led by entirely queer and trans-identifying people, was inspired to adopt their approach after learning about a similar group called the Mosquito Fleet from the Pacific Northwest, which has led water-based actions to protest Arctic drilling projects.
Angulo and fellow organizer Asho Alvarez said the Rich City Rays are reflective of the “climate justice movement overall,” and connected by their queerness.
“Through the lens of queerness, we’re able to reimagine the world that we want to live in and not necessarily adhere to a lot of heteronormative rules that we’ve been taught,” Alvarez said.
Angulo said it was a no-brainer to recognize the connection between climate change and LGBTQIA+ struggles, and that her queer kayaking community inspires her to continue fighting the fossil fuel companies that have worsened the climate crisis.
Luna Angulo’s boots sit on a kayak after a trip into the water at Safe Harbor Marina Bay Yacht Harbor in Richmond on June 3, 2025. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)
“We are all people who care passionately about the world that we live in, but also have this shared experience of being queer,” she said. “Queer people in many ways have an opportunity to see the ways that all of our systems of oppression are deeply interconnected.”
The Rich City Rays aren’t only protesting on the bay; they also teach young people of color to “reclaim their right to have a relationship with the water” by holding introductory kayaking events, community paddles and action-oriented training.
The group is hosting a queer kayak camp trip on Tomales Bay the weekend of June 28 and will provide kayaks and gear for attendees. They will also hold an open summer picnic on July 5 at Point Molate and a BIPOC paddle at the Richmond Marina on July 19.
“It’s really beautiful to be held not only by the water, but by each other,” Angulo said.
