Gays and hurricanes

Hurricane season is upon us, and scientists project it may be among the worst in decades. He and his family were without power for nine months. The historic storm left the archipelago in the dark for nearly an entire year, making the blackout the longest in U. An estimated 4, people died.

There was nowhere for year-old Sean Chavez to go when Hurricane Harvey thundered into Houston less than two weeks ago. The homeless teenager, who is bisexual, sat on a sidewalk drenched in rain. It came down with such fury that it got into his lungs. A sick feeling grew in his stomach.

A politician in Northern Ireland has stepped down, days after he linked same-sex relationships to child abuse. Health Minister Jim Wells apologised for the comments , but says he resigned to look after his sick wife. Equality for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community is improving as more countries legalise same-sex marriage and more politicians open up about their sexuality. However, there are still occasions when homophobia emerges, with some extreme claims.

New policy mandates might help. The only national source of quantitative data that captures sexual orientation and gender identity during disasters is the Census Household Pulse Survey. This includes instances of people being turned away from shelters and aid or having to lie about their relationship status to access it. Under the Biden administration, all agencies have been mandated to make equity action plans.