A FEMA disaster preparedness meeting on “focusing efforts on LGBTQIA+ victims” has resurfaced following the agency’s response to Hurricane Helene.
During a virtual meeting in March 2023, FEMA Emergency Management Specialist Tyler Atkins alarmingly said the agency was prioritizing LGBTQ people because they are “already disadvantaged.”
“They already have their own things to deal with. So when you add disaster to that, it just makes it worse,” Atkins, who uses he/they pronouns, told the panel.
It comes as FEMA has faced mounting backlash in the weeks since Hurricane Helene tore through the Southeast, killing at least 227 people, amid accusations that the organization was ‘running out of money’ after spending billions on illegal immigrants issued.
FEMA Emergency Management Specialist Tyler Atkins told a virtual conference in March 2023 that the disaster agency should “focus efforts on LGBTQIA+” victims
It comes as FEMA faces mounting backlash in the weeks since Hurricane Helene tore through the Southeast (pictured in North Carolina), amid accusations that the agency has ‘run out of money’ after paying billions to illegal immigrants had issued.
Over the past two years, FEMA – the Federal Emergency Management Agency – has reportedly doled out more than $1 billion in taxpayer money to fund housing for illegal immigrants.
The figure sparked outrage in the aftermath of Helene, with residents of flood-affected North Carolina claiming that FEMA’s response had left them disappointed and dependent on volunteers.
FEMA has denied improper allocation of funds.
While victims say they are fighting to survive, some critics resurfaced in Atkins’ March 2023 comments challenging FEMA’s priorities.
In the clip, which has since been viewed more than 15 million times shared on X On Sunday, Atkins argued that LGBTQ victims should receive more support because they would have been “already in the struggle” before a natural disaster.
“That’s the ‘why’ we’re having these discussions,” he continued. “It’s not talked about and it’s not socialized – we don’t pay attention to this community.”
He then turned the call over to Maggie Jarry, a senior emergency management specialist with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
She argued that instead of helping as many people as possible, FEMA should instead implement a “disaster equity” policy that prioritizes people from minority communities.
Atkins raised eyebrows in the resurfaced clip when he called for LGBTQ people to be prioritized because they are “already disadvantaged.” He said, “They have all their own things to deal with. So when you add disaster to that, it just piles on.”
Maggie Jarry, a senior emergency management specialist at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, argued that FEMA should focus on “disaster equity” rather than being “designed for the greatest good, for the greatest number of people.” ‘.
At least 227 people have died as a result of Hurricane Helene (pictured in Asheville, North Carolina), while FEMA has come under scrutiny for its response
“There’s a few things that are intersecting in my head here. One is the culture of emergency management as an organization, as an industry particularly in the United States, and not abroad,” she said.
“The shift we are seeing now is a shift in emergency management from utilitarian principles – where everything is designed for the greatest good, for the greatest number of people – to disaster justice.”
A similar line can be found at FEMA’s own websitewhere it lists its “Goal 1” as: “Creating equity as a basis for emergency management.”
“Underserved communities, as well as specific identity groups, often suffer disproportionately from disasters. As a result, disasters exacerbate inequalities already present in society,” the website said.
FEMA’s website lists its “Goal 1” as instilling “equity as a basis for emergency management.”
“This cycle compounds the challenges these communities face and increases their risk of future disasters. By establishing equity as a foundation for emergency management and striving to meet the unique needs of underserved communities, the emergency management community can work to break this cycle and build a more resilient country. ‘
While noting that it is illegal to provide assistance “on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, language accessibility or economic status,” the report says this “cannot be done through a one-size-fits-all approach.” . -all approach.’
“Instead, FEMA must be aware of and responsive to the needs of diverse individuals and communities to ensure that the benefits of FEMA programs are available.”
Months after hosting the Zoom seminar, Atkins was also praised by the FEMA director Deanne Criswell on X.
Criswell said Atkins “brings our equality mission to life,” explaining, “He provides valuable opportunities for our staff to learn how we can best support and prepare communities – especially the LGBTQ+ community – for disasters.”
Helene caused widespread destruction across the Southeast, causing more than $400 billion in damage
FEMA’s resources will be stretched even further with Hurricane Milton expected to make landfall on Wednesday as a Category 4 storm (the hurricane’s projected track is pictured)
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned residents to evacuate before it’s too late, urging Floridians to ‘take this storm very seriously’
In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene – which is estimated to have caused more than $400 billion in damage – FEMA has come under scrutiny for its response.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas admitted last week that the agency “doesn’t have the resources to get through the season,” despite the billions spent housing illegal immigrants.
And while much of northern Florida all the way to North Carolina remains devastated, FEMA will also be stretched thin as Hurricane Milton makes landfall this week.
Milton is currently forecast to make landfall in Florida as a Category 5 hurricane on Wednesday morning, with meteorologists warning it could be even worse than Helene.
Six million residents are under hurricane warnings and many have been ordered to evacuate as ‘life-threatening’ three-metre-high storm surges and winds of up to 150 miles per hour rush in.
After Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency, he warned residents to evacuate before it’s too late.
“Tropical Storm Milton is expected to make landfall on the west coast of Florida, current estimates are around 5 p.m. Wednesday, but there is still a lot of uncertainty about that,” DeSantis said at the Emergency Operations Center.
“I would urge Floridians to take this storm very seriously, and not tie yourselves to the cone.”