LGBTQ+ organizers build community-led disaster response amid rising climate threats

As disasters grow more intense and frequent, LGBTQ+ leaders in New Orleans and beyond are developing grassroots networks to support vulnerable communities left out of mainstream emergency planning.

Audrey Gray reports for Inside Climate News.

In short:

After Hurricane Francine, the nonprofit Imagine Water Works distributed emergency supplies, posted heat safety tips, and offered sanctuary for LGBTQ+ Louisianans, who are at greater risk of displacement after disasters.
A landmark academic paper published in 2022, “Queer and Present Danger,” revealed LGBTQ+ people face higher risks during climate emergencies due to housing insecurity, lack of family support, and discrimination in shelters.
Legislative backlash has escalated under the Trump administration and in states nationwide, undermining protections for LGBTQ+ people even as extreme weather events accelerate.

Key quote:

“We stand firm in our joy and in our belonging even through the storm.”

— Chenier Klie Kliebert, director of Imagine Water Works

Why this matters:

Climate disasters do not affect everyone equally. LGBTQ+ people, especially those who are also people of color or low-income, face disproportionate harm in the aftermath of hurricanes, wildfires, and heatwaves. They’re more likely to lack stable housing, face discrimination in shelters, and be left out of official recovery planning. Studies have shown that in states with anti-LGBTQ+ laws, rates of disaster displacement and mental health crises are significantly higher among queer and trans people. With federal disaster agencies underfunded and emergency systems fraying, the burden increasingly falls on mutual aid networks like those in New Orleans.

insideclimatenews.org

A person holding a level on a solar panel

Credit: Getty Images/Unsplash+

Hosting solar can be a lifeline for farmers, but overcoming local opposition is tough

Local opposition to solar has long been an obstacle for green energy developers in the United States, but some communities are working to reverse local restrictions.

Read the Full Article on

apnews.com

LGBTQ+ organizers build community-led disaster response amid rising climate threats

Deep soils could hold keys to climate resilience

Hosting solar can be a lifeline for farmers, but overcoming local opposition is tough

Hospitals are rethinking laughing gas. Here’s why

This simple metal tube helps scientists predict drought before it happens

Tracking traffic pollution transforms city climate policy

Returning to the 'Carbon Coast'

Blowin’ in the wind: How Nordic countries made electricity free

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Pennsylvania health advocates say Trump’s first 100 days in office have caused “100 harms” to local communities

“They're terrorizing these scientists because they want to keep them silent.”

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.