Addressing the disparities faced by queer people during disasters and recovery

Queer people face further marginalisation during disasters when compared to heterosexual and cisgender people. Vulnerabilities are accentuated during and after disasters due to harassment and threats of violence; discrimination; a lack of providing health care needs; high isolation rates of queer seniors, and a distrust of emergency service providers. This study therefore seeks to answer the question: What actions can be taken to reduce the disparities faced by queer people during and after disasters? It synthesises current academic literature and personal experiences to identify potential solutions to minimise the new and worsened vulnerabilities queer people are faced with. JIBC’s general library database and the base-search.net database were used to identify current literature on how queer people face disparities during and after disasters. Additionally, personal experiences and conversations from members of the queer community in Kelowna, B.C. added a depth to the analysis. Multiple potential solutions to address the disparities queer people face during and after disasters were identified, including involving queer people in the planning for disaster response and recovery, re-establishing queer community spaces alongside homes, and continuing access to supports into the recovery phase of the disaster after the initial response phase.