All of us. That’s the answer.
On Monday, in response to a Politico article linking Hurricane Harvey to climate change, conservative TV personality Ann Coulter tweeted the following: “I don’t believe Hurricane Harvey is God’s punishment for Houston electing a lesbian mayor. But that is more credible than ‘climate change.’” — Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter)
Of course! How could we have thought that the worst rainstorm in U.S. history was caused by an unwillingness to take climate change seriously, when it’s clearly just God’s way of putting Houston in a time-out for electing a qualified official who happens to be gay? A constructive way to channel any rage generated by reading this typical piece of drivel from Coulter would be to send money to the LGBTQ+ community in Houston. So far, the most vetted option is the LGBTQ Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund, organized by the Montrose Center. Click here to donate.
The Montrose Center, an organization that offers education, outreach, counseling and support for LGBTQ+ people suffering from addiction and HIV/AIDS, and programs for seniors and survivors of assault and domestic violence, released a statement after celebrities like Ruby Rose and Jack Antonoff received backlash on social media for donating to the fund. The center’s post quickly refuted angry tweets (like this one “This is so wrong. All lives matter. Not just lgbt (sic)”) by explaining why LGBTQ+ people need specialized relief programs in an emergency: “LGBTQ youth experience high rates of homelessness, making it more difficult to reach them during an emergency. High rates of isolation for LGBTQ seniors means they are more likely to be alone, and less likely to have familial resources that can support receiving emergency messages and accessing resources. Access to HIV medication or hormones can be limited or nonexistent as providers are unavailable or undervalue the importance of maintaining these regimens and shelter accommodations are often not compliant with appropriately affirming gender identity. The LGBTQ population also has a significant lack of trust with emergency responders and health care systems that have discriminated against them before. Nontraditional structures of families are frequently disrespected by emergency or recovery services resulting in families that become separated or are unable to access appropriate resources.” Read the full post here.
Let’s help the Montrose Center reach its goal of $325,000 to aid the displaced LGBTQ+ victims of Harvey. Our money is better spent there than on big names like the Red Cross, which has a track record of botching natural disaster responses while paying its executives exorbitant salaries.
Author: Clare McKinely
