Queer experiences of disasters, intersectionality, and the spatial dimension

Consideration for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, and queer (LGBTQ) people is often absent in disaster management strategies, yet they experience unique vulnerabilities linked to inequality and marginalisation. Where LGBTQ people are considered, it is often as one uniform group, but LGBTQ people are not homogeneous, with diversity of experiences both between and within subgroups. Framing LGBTQ experiences as homogeneous is insufficient and risks contributing to further inequalities, with the voices of more visible or dominant groups, such as gay men, viewed as representing all LGBTQ experiences.

A central aim is to investigate how space influences diversity of queer experiences of disaster, and how activities such as participatory mapping may be useful as both research tools and vehicles for advocacy. Here I include online space, with platforms like hook-up apps and social media proving important for LGBTQ people during disasters. Through internet and technological advancements the public can contribute to geographic knowledge production and maps in unprecedented ways, yet even in this context marginalised groups remain under-represented.