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.
Related: Shell’s foundation funded groups opposing climate action and LGBTQ+ rights
