Senator Padilla and LGBTQ+ Leaders Introduce Legislation to Protect LGBTQ+ Community after Disasters
SACRAMENTO – Today, Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego), joined by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, the state’s first openly LGBTQ+ statewide elected official, and Equality California, the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, announced he would amend SB 990 to include language to direct the Office of Emergency Services to specifically establish what best practices state and local governments are to use when addressing the needs of the LGBTQ+ community after a disaster.
In 2023, the US was struck by 28 separate billion-dollar disasters, breaking the previous record of 22 events set in 2020. As the climate continues to change, the frequency of these disasters will only increase, devastating communities and displacing people from their homes.
LGBTQ+ individuals – particularly LGBTQ+ people of color – are displaced at nearly double the rate of cisgender and heterosexual individuals, according to a recent study conducted by the University of California, Irvine. Furthermore, LGBTQ+ people in California are more likely to experience water insecurity (39% v. 20%), unsanitary conditions (47% v. 19%), a shortage of food (25% v. 23%), and a fear of crime (70% v. 35%) after a disaster. Fires displace LGBTQ+ people at twice the rate (30%) than non-LGBTQ+ people (14%), and recent studies also show that LGBTQ+ individuals in California experience extraordinarily high levels of permanent displacement; 52% of LGBTQ+ Californians never returned to their homes after displacement compared to 17% of cisgender, heterosexual individuals.
Bias in disaster response programs, failure to recognize unique LGBTQ+ family structures, barriers to obtaining proper identification, and anti-LGBTQ+ practices at some disaster-relief services provided by faith-based organizations all compound to heighten the risks that LGBTQ+ communities face during a disaster. Despite recent efforts to consider LGBTQ+ communities in disaster preparedness efforts, state and federal agencies continue to lack a clear strategy on how to integrate LGBTQ+ people into disaster preparedness, planning, and emergency response.
“We’ve got to root out discrimination in our policies and our society,” said Senator Padilla. “The values we have fought so hard to uphold cannot disappear at the first sight of trouble. In the aftermath of a disaster, we want everyone to feel assured they are going to get the care they need to get themselves and their families back on their feet and into their homes.”
SB 990 will require the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) to update the State Emergency Plan to include proposed policies and best practices for local governments and nongovernmental entities to equitably serve LGBTQ+ communities during an emergency or natural disaster. The bill will require CalOES to coordinate with representatives from LGBTQ+ communities, including, social service agencies, nonprofit organizations, advocates, and researchers.
“While California has traditionally been at the forefront of LGBTQ+ civil rights, it has lagged in ensuring those rights are enforced during disasters,” said Michael Méndez, PhD, author of the study and Assistant Professor and Andrew Carnegie Fellow at the University of California, Irvine. “This legislation is an important step in ensuring that the state provides guidance to local governments and mutual aid providers on safeguarding LGBTQ+ before, during, and after disasters.”
Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and Equality California are the legislation’s sponsors. Here’s what they had to say:
“LGBTQ+ individuals are more likely to be forced out of their homes after major climate disasters and to experience challenges like food and water insecurity. With the largest LGBTQ+ population in the country, California must lead the way in eliminating bias and meeting the needs of this community in our disaster response planning,” said Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, who cited the UC Irvine research. “By requiring updates to our state’s emergency plan we will close the recovery gap for LGBTQ+ people during emergencies and disasters. Thank you to Senator Steve Padilla for your partnership and understanding the vital need for this legislation to help California’s LGBTQ+ communities.”
“From wildfires to flooding, natural disasters are becoming increasingly frequent and are intensifying across California. We must do everything we can to ensure that disaster programs are equipped to provide equitable and affirming services for LGBTQ+ people, especially LGBTQ+ people of color, who are disproportionately impacted by these catastrophic events,” said Equality California Executive Director Tony Hoang. “SB 990 will require California to have a clear strategy in place on how to integrate the unique needs of LGBTQ+ people into disaster preparedness, planning, and emergency response. We are proud to partner with Senator Padilla and Insurance Commissioner Lara on this urgent and timely legislation.”
SB 990 will be heard in the Senate in the coming year.
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Steve Padilla represents the 18th Senate District, which includes the communities of Chula Vista, the Coachella Valley, Imperial Beach, the Imperial Valley, National City, and San Diego. Prior to his election to the Senate in 2022, Senator Padilla was the first person of color ever elected to city office in Chula Vista, the first Latino Mayor, and the first openly LGBT person to serve or be elected to city office. Website of Senator Steve Padilla: https://sd18.senate.ca.gov/