A resurfaced video of a FEMA seminar has sparked fury after panelists were criticized for suggesting disaster preparedness policies should be tailored to transgender migrants.
The March 2023 discussion, titled Helping LGBTQIA+ Survivors Before Disasters, saw FEMAs Pride groups director of education Reilly Hirst discuss the concerns migrant transwomen have in seeking shelter.
She suggested that trans migrants might struggle to find accommodations at faith-based shelters, because of the way they’ve been responded to in the past.
FEMAs approach to disaster management has come under scrutiny following its response to Hurricane Helene, which saw at least 230 people killed and thousands more displaced across the south east.
And with the potentially deadly Hurricane Milton due to barrel into Florida this afternoon, many have been raising concerns about FEMAs priorities.
A resurfaced video of a FEMA seminar has sparked fury after panelist Reilly Hirst was criticized for suggesting disaster preparedness policies should be tailored to transgender migrants
This is what Hurricane Helene victims are up against, Republican Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote on X as she reposted a clip from the webinar.
FEMA Training Director is concerned about faith-based shelters misgendering "migrant transwomen.”
These are the unqualified idiots using FEMA disaster relief funds to house migrants and FAILING western NC Hurricane Helene victims. They hate Christians.
According to Hirst, trans migrants could face barriers to receiving aid due to discrimination or violence in emergency shelters, the breakdown of their support networks, lack of access to federal relief and religious blame.
She told an anecdote about a lesbian couple who struggled to find accommodation together in the wake of a hurricane until they pretended to be sisters.
But Hirsts stance was slammed online, with many accusing her of inappropriately prioritizing DEI.
Maybe rescue people trapped in destroyed mountain towns. Thatd be nice, one person said.
FEMAs response to disaster management has come under scrutiny in the wake of the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene
At least 230 people died and thousands more were displaced when the powerful storm tore through six states
The panel also talked about moving away from disaster relief which benefits the highest number of people in favor of disaster equity
What ever happened to staging for a disaster like this? another asked. Stockpiling goods, equipment and personnel in key areas. Helping disaster victims by being prepared.
Managing volunteers and welcoming them in for quicker response. Our government needs to be fixed and shrinking might make it more effective.
The backlash against FEMA comes as the agency faces allegations it ran out of money after spending billions trying to address the migrant crisis.
In the past two years, FEMA - the Federal Emergency Management Agency - has reportedly handed out over $1 billion of taxpayer dollars to fund the housing of illegal immigrants.
This figure sparked outrage in the wake of Helene, with residents in flood-hit North Carolina claiming the response from FEMA has left them disappointed and relying on volunteers.
FEMA has denied inappropriate allocation of funds.
Hirsts comments were made in the wider context of FEMA webinars on disaster preparedness in which the panel discussed focusing efforts on LGBTQIA+ victims.
LGBTQIA people, and people who have been disadvantaged already, are struggling, moderator Tyler Atkins said.
They already have their own things to deal with. So when you add a disaster on top of that, it’s just compounding on itself.
Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene said that FEMA was filled with unqualified idiots using FEMA disaster relief funds to house migrants while failing to help hurricane victims
Greenes thoughts were echoed by other people who viewed the March 2023 webinar
The panel talked about moving away from disaster relief which benefits the highest number of people in favor of disaster equity.
The shift we’re seeing right now is a shift in emergency services from utilitarian principles — where everything is designed for the greatest good for the greatest amount of people — to disaster equity. But we have to do more, said Maggie Jarry of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
She added that the current policies in place are, actually biased in benign neglect or intentional erasure of the specific communities that are probably most in need of those services.