A resurfaced video of a FEMA seminar has sparked fury after panelists were criticized for suggesting that disaster preparedness policies should be tailored to transgender migrants.
The March 2023 discussion, titled 'Helping LGBTQIA+ Survivors Before Disasters', saw FEMA Pride Director of Education Reilly Hirst discuss the concerns 'migrant trans women' have about seeking shelter.
She suggested that trans migrants may have difficulty finding housing in faith-based shelters, “because of the way they have been responded to in the past.”
FEMA's approach to disaster management has come under scrutiny following its response to Hurricane Helene, which left at least 230 people dead and thousands displaced across the Southeast.
And with the potentially deadly Hurricane Milton set to hit Florida this afternoon, many have raised concerns about FEMA's priorities.
A resurfaced video of a FEMA seminar has sparked fury after speaker Reilly Hirst was criticized for suggesting disaster preparedness policies should be tailored to trans migrants.
“This is what the victims of Hurricane Helene are up against,” Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote on X while reposting a clip from the webinar.
'FEMA's Director of Training is concerned that faith-based shelters misgender “migrant trans women.”
'These are the unqualified idiots using FEMA disaster relief funds to shelter migrants and victims of Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina. They hate Christians.
According to Hirst, trans migrants may face barriers in receiving aid due to discrimination or violence in emergency shelters, the breakdown of their support networks, lack of access to federal aid, and religious guilt.
She told an anecdote about a lesbian couple who struggled to find accommodation together after a hurricane until they pretended to be sisters.
But Hirst's stance has been criticized online, with many accusing her of inappropriately prioritizing DEI.
'Maybe rescuing people trapped in destroyed mountain towns. That would be cool,” one person said.
FEMA's response to disaster management is under scrutiny following the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene
At least 230 people died and thousands were left homeless as the powerful storm hit six states
The panel also talked about abandoning disaster relief, which benefits the most people, in favor of “disaster equity.”
'What happened to preparing for a disaster like this?' another asked. 'Storage of goods, equipment and personnel in key areas. Help disaster victims by being prepared.
'Manage volunteers and welcome them for faster response. Our government needs fixing and downsizing can make it more effective. '
The backlash against FEMA comes as the agency faces accusations that it has run out of money after spending billions trying to resolve the migration crisis.
Over the past two years, FEMA – the Federal Emergency Management Agency – has distributed more than a billion taxpayer dollars to finance housing for illegal immigrants.
This number sparked outrage in the wake of Helene, with residents of flood-hit North Carolina claiming FEMA's response left them disappointed and relying on volunteers.
FEMA denied misallocating funds.
Hirst's comments were made in the broader context of FEMA's disaster preparedness webinars, in which the panel discussed “focusing efforts on LGBTQIA+ victims.”
“LGBTQIA people, and people who are already disadvantaged, are struggling,” said moderator Tyler Atkins.
'They already have their own things to deal with. So when you add a disaster to all of this, it's just getting worse.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said FEMA was full of 'unqualified idiots who used FEMA disaster relief funds to house migrants' while failing to help hurricane victims
Greene's thoughts were echoed by others who attended the March 2023 webinar
The panel talked about abandoning disaster relief, which benefits the most people, in favor of “disaster equity.”
“The change we are seeing right now is a shift in emergency services from utilitarian principles – where everything is designed for the greatest good for the greatest number of people – to equity in the event of a disaster. But we have to do more,” said Maggie Jarry of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
She added that the current policies in place are “actually biased toward benign neglect or intentional erasure of the specific communities that are likely most in need of these services.”
