Tens of thousands of people have been impacted by Hurricane Helene. We recognize this extreme damage to the communities affected, and our hearts go out to those who are continuing to weather the aftermath of the storm.
In response to natural disasters all over the country, trans and nonbinary people are coming together to support each other. Here are some resources you might find helpful:
Safety Planning for Disasters and Intimate Partner Violence
Natural disasters are known to increase interpersonal violence, especially domestic violence and sexual assault. Disasters increase stress and isolation. They provide opportunities for people to cause harm and control others. This Trans Survivors blog post covers tips for trans and nonbinary survivors to stay safer during natural disasters.
Read more: https://trans-survivors.com/2023/07/18/safety-planning-for-disasters-and-intimate-partner-violence/
Mutual aid resources:
Queer and trans communities support one another during disasters. Seeding Sovereignty (@SeedingSovereignty on Instagram) has compiled a list of mutual aid efforts across areas affected by Hurricane Helene. These include:
Support Hurricane Helene relief efforts (Southern Equity)
Mutual Aid Disaster Relief
Food Not Bombs: Tallahassee, FL, St. Petersburg, FL, Gainesville, FL, and Charlotte, NC
State Line Abortion Access Partners (Virginia)
Tri Cities Mutual Aid
EKY Mutual Aid
First Aid Collective Knox
Pansy Collective (Appalachia)
Find out more: https://www.instagram.com/p/DAt2-KKSLbV/?img_index=1
Sexual Violence in Disasters Guide
National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)
This guide draws from research, reporting, and the lived experiences of survivors to explore the connections between sexual violence and disasters, the inequities that shape them both, the lessons to be learned from the resilience of survivors and their communities, and opportunities for all of us to prevent sexual violence before, during, and after disasters.
Find out more: https://www.nsvrc.org/resource/2500/sexual-violence-disasters
Meeting the Needs of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI+) Individuals During Disasters and Emergencies
FEMA’s 2020 annual National Preparedness Report identified communities of color, single parents, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people as being at the highest risk or more severely impacted during disasters. This resource includes strategies for creating more inclusive environments at shelters, getting ready for natural disasters, and more.
Learn more: https://aspr.hhs.gov/at-risk/Pages/LGBTQI.aspx