The progressive media outlet 19th News has initiated a campaign to gather funds for victims of natural disasters, specifically targeting “LGBTQ+ people” and women “seeking an abortion” following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. The storm has wreaked havoc in the southeastern United States, leading to widespread damage and claiming the lives of at least 120 individuals.
Progressive reporter Jessica Kutz from The 19th News shared a compilation of initiatives aimed at aiding LGBTQ individuals and pregnant women seeking abortions, stating, “We put together a list of resources for those looking to donate in the wake of Hurricane Helene. We focused on mutual aid groups and organizations on the ground that are helping LGBTQ+ people and people seeking an abortion.”
Moreover, the publication emphasized the importance of “mutual aid groups,” or entities that provide reciprocal help. An article cited by Kutz’s post highlighted, “LGBTQ+ people and women face unique needs after climate disasters that are often ignored by federal disaster response,” further noting that “LGBTQ+ people are twice as likely to be displaced after a disaster and have a harder time accessing recovery resources.”
This assertion is supported by a survey questioning LGBTQ individuals about their experiences with food scarcity or limited water access during previous disasters. It suggests that these challenges may stem from factors like geographical location and the density of LGBTQ populations.
According to data from the UCLA School of Law Williams Institute in 2021, the highest proportion of LGBTQ adults resides in the southern United States, a region frequently affected by hurricanes and floods. The article also mentions the organization’s desire to support women seeking abortions, acknowledging “significant hurdles in accessing” these services. Key organizations listed to assist LGBTQ+ individuals include Voices of Florida, Firestorm Books, Prism, and TriPride.
Examining a few of these groups, Voices of Florida is described as a “black and queer-led” organization active in opposing Florida’s abortion ban. Firestorm Books is labeled as an “Anarchist, Community Bookstore” with a mission to “provide community space, critical literature and an alternative economic model based on cooperative, libertarian principles.”
For contributions towards assisting women in obtaining abortions, the recommended organizations are the Mountain Area Abortion Doula Collective, Carolina Abortion Access Fund, Mountain Access Brigade, and RISE. The Mountain Area Abortion Doula Collective, which also supports the Palestinian liberation movement, states on its website that it aids women “seeking abortion in Asheville and the greater Western NC area.” The Mountain Access Brigade, a team of “all-volunteer group of abortion doulas based in Tennessee who are passionate” about facilitating women’s access to abortions, focuses on fundraising to cover abortion costs.
