A FEMA disaster preparedness meeting on ‘focusing efforts on LGBTQIA+ victims’ has resurfaced following the agency’s response to Hurricane Helene.
In a March 2023 virtual meeting, 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 take care of. “Add to that a disaster and it just gets worse,” Atkins, who uses he/they pronouns, told the panel.
It comes as FEMA has faced growing backlash in the weeks since Hurricane Helene swept through the Southeast, killing at least 227 people, amid accusations that the agency “ran out of money” after spending billions. in illegal immigrants.
FEMA emergency management specialist Tyler Atkins said at a virtual conference in March 2023 that the disaster agency should “focus its efforts on LGBTQIA+ victims.”
It comes as FEMA has faced growing backlash in the weeks since Hurricane Helene devastated the Southeast (pictured in North Carolina) amid accusations that the agency “ran out of money” after spending thousands of millions in illegal immigrants.
Over the past two years, FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) has reportedly provided more than a billion taxpayer dollars to fund housing illegal immigrants.
This figure sparked outrage in the wake of Helene, with residents in flood-hit North Carolina saying FEMA’s response had left them disappointed and dependent on volunteers.
FEMA has denied inappropriate allocation of funds.
While victims say they have been forced to fight to survive, some critics resurfaced Atkins’ comments from March 2023 when he criticized FEMA’s priorities.
In the clip, which has accumulated more than 15 million views since its publication shared on X On Sunday, Atkins argued that LGBTQ victims should receive more support because they “would have already been struggling” before a natural disaster.
“That’s the ‘why’ of why we’re having these discussions,” he continued. “It’s not talked about or socialized; we don’t pay attention to this community.”
He then turned the conversation over to Maggie Jarry, senior emergency management specialist at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
He stated that instead of helping as many people as possible, FEMA should adopt a “disaster equity” policy that prioritizes people from minority communities.
Atkins raised eyebrows in the resurfaced clip when she called for prioritizing LGBTQ people because “they’re already at a disadvantage,” saying, “They already have their own things to deal with.” Add to that a disaster and it just gets worse on its own.
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 died as a result of Hurricane Helene (pictured in Asheville, North Carolina), while FEMA has come under scrutiny for its response.
‘There are a couple of things that cross my mind here. One is the culture of emergency management as an organization, as an industry specifically in the United States, not abroad,” he said.
“The shift we’re 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) toward equity in disasters.”
A similar line can be found in FEMA’s own websitewhere it lists its ‘Goal 1’ as: ‘Instil equity as the basis of emergency management.’
‘Neglected communities, as well as specific identity groups, often suffer disproportionately from disasters. As a result, disasters worsen inequalities already present in society,” the website states.
FEMA’s website lists its ‘Goal 1’ as instilling ‘equity as a foundation of emergency management’
‘This cycle compounds the challenges these communities face and increases their risk of future disasters. By instilling equity as a foundation of 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 nation.’
While it notes that it is illegal to provide assistance “based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, language accessibility, or economic status,” it says this “cannot be done through a one-size-fits-all solution.” -Everyone is approaching.’
“Instead, FEMA must be aware of and responsive to the needs of different 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 equity mission to life,” explaining, “It provides valuable opportunities for our workforce to learn how to better support and prepare communities, especially the LGBTQ+ community, for disaster.”
Helene caused widespread destruction across the Southeast and caused more than $400 billion in damage.
FEMA resources will be further strained as Hurricane Milton is forecast to make landfall Wednesday as a Category 4 storm (expected hurricane track shown).
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned residents to evacuate before it’s too late and urged Floridians to “take this storm very seriously.”
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, which is estimated to have caused more than $400 billion in damage, FEMA’s response has come under scrutiny.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas admitted last week that the agency “does not have the funds to get through the season,” despite billions spent housing illegal immigrants.
And while much of northern Florida to North Carolina has been devastated, FEMA will also be affected when Hurricane Milton makes landfall this week.
Milton is currently forecast to make landfall in Florida as a Category 5 hurricane on Wednesday morning, and forecasters warn it could be even worse than Helene.
Six million residents are under a hurricane watch and many have been ordered to evacuate due to “life-threatening” storm surges nine feet high and winds of up to 150 mph.
After declaring a state of emergency, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned residents to evacuate before it is too late.
“Tropical Storm Milton is expected to make landfall on the west coast of Florida, current estimates are Wednesday around 5 p.m., but there is still a lot of uncertainty about that,” DeSantis said, speaking at the Emergency Operations Center.
“I urge Floridians to take this storm very seriously: Don’t marry the cone.”