Sep 5th, 2005
Supporting LGBT Families Affected by Hurricane Katrina
As I watch the national news from my home in Minnesota, I remain stunned and saddened at the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Last week I received a message from COLAGE saying that the organization, along with many other national organizations, is joining forces with NYAC (National Youth Advocacy Coalition) in their creation of the Hurricane Katrina LGBT Relief Fund.
This fund was created “to ensure that LGBT youth and families, among the most vulnerable members of our community, receive the critical support they need to regain stability in their lives.”
I realize that many of you have chosen to donate to national originations that are not LGBT-specific, and that’s just fine. But LGBT-specific relief is also necessary because homophobia and discrimination
do not disappear in times of national tragedy. The last thing displaced LGBT families should have to be worrying about right now is combating homophobia — in seeking emergency shelter, in staying together
for relocation, or in gaining access to information on the whereabouts of missing loved ones.