Disaster Response Must Help Protect LGBTQ Communities

The authors discuss how discrimination can make recovery especially difficult for the LGBTQ+ community after disasters. They recommend updating the 1988 Stafford Act to explicitly cover sexual orientation and gender identity, which would expand on its existing requirement to protect people regardless of sex. They also recommend nondiscrimination policies for disaster shelters and establishment of a federal LGBTQ+ Equity Taskforce spanning agencies to create inclusive policies for local, state, and federal government.