Transcript:
When Hurricane Harvey hit the Houston area in 2017, part of Cristan Williams‘s roof caved in.
Williams, a cofounder of the Transgender Foundation of America, says during that time, members of Houston’s tight-knit trans community relied on one another.
Williams: “We were kind of mutually checking on each other … because one person is flooding, another person doesn’t have power.”
Recovering from a disaster can be especially hard for trans people.
Those with nontraditional family structures may struggle to get relief aid. Trans people may feel unsafe going to a shelter where they cannot use the restroom that aligns with their gender identity. And they may have a hard time accessing gender-affirming mental health support.
Williams: “If you can imagine surviving a natural disaster, perhaps losing your home, and on top of that, dealing with all of these systemic roadblocks, it would be quite difficult.”
To help people nationwide, her group created the Trans Disaster Relief Fund. It provides grants of up to about $1,000 for housing or other pressing needs.
As climate disasters grow more common, Williams urges trans people in vulnerable situations to reach out to her group or others for support and assistance.
Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy / ChavoBart Digital Media
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