LGBTQIA+ and disasters

Queer disaster experiences: marginality, intersectionality, and space.

Summary of project

The 'Progress' pride flag
The 'Progress' pride flag. Image: Daniel Quasar

Uma versão em português das informações do projeto pode ser encontrada aqui:https://billyhaworth.com/projeto-lgbti-e-covid-19/

Consideration for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, queer, intersex, asexual and other diverse gender and sexual identities (LGBTQIA+) people is often absent in disaster and humanitarian strategies, yet they experience unique vulnerabilities linked to inequality and marginalisation. Where LGBTQIA+ people are considered, it is often as one uniform group, but LGBTQIA+ populations are not homogeneous, with diversity of experiences both between and within subgroups.

Project objectives

We are exploring the following questions in various ways/projects (including work during COVID-19):

  1. How do varying experiences of marginality within LGBTQIA+ populations influence vulnerability and disaster risk?
  2. What coping strategies and coping capacities are present among queer populations for facing disaster, public health and other crises?
  3. How can disaster and humanitarian policies/strategies be more inclusive of LGBTQIA+ lives and needs?
  4. How can activities such as participatory mapping be used as research tools and vehicles for advocacy in reducing disaster risk among diverse marginalised populations?

Publications

Haworth, B.T. (2021). Learning from the UK’s LGBTIQ+ experiences of COVID-19 for future crises. HCRI Policy Brief Series, 01/21. https://www.hcri.manchester.ac.uk/research/publications/policy-brief-series/lgbtiq-covid-experiences/

Cassal, L., Haworth, B.T. & Muniz, T. (2021). Aprendendo com experiências de pessoas LGBTI+ durante a Covid-19 em SP e RJ (relatório para política pública). HCRI Policy Brief Series. https://www.hcri.manchester.ac.uk/research/publications/policy-brief-series/lgbtiq-covid-experiences/lgbtiq-covid-experiences-brazil/

Haworth, B.T. (2021). Learning from LGBTIQ+ experiences of COVID-19 in the UK for future crises: Considerations for policymakers and practitioners. The Manchester Briefing, issue 31. https://www.alliancembs.manchester.ac.uk/media/ambs/content-assets/documents/news/the-manchester-briefing-on-covid-19-b31-wb-5th-march-2021.pdf

Blog Posts/Conversation Pieces

Cassal, L., Haworth, B.T. (2021, July). LGBTIQ+ people in Brazil left to support themselves during COVID-19: vulnerabilities, coping strategies, and recommendations for more inclusive crisis policies. Policy@Manchester blog. https://tinyurl.com/etzm7y9s
Portuguese version: https://tinyurl.com/exfwsjwe

Haworth, B.T. (2021, March). LGBTIQ+ experiences of COVID-19 in the UK and the need for more inclusive crisis policies. Policy@Manchester blog. https://tinyurl.com/d3xut95c

Haworth, B.T. (2020). Researching experiences of gender and sexual minorities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Blog post and podcast, October 2020. Posted on www.blog.hcri.ac.uk and billyhaworth.com/blog.

Haworth, B.T., Eriksen, C. & McKinnon, S. (2019, May). Online tools can help people in disasters, but do they represent anyone? The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/online-tools-can-help-people-in-disasters-but-do-they-represent-everyone-116810

Funding

2020/21: Impact Acceleration grant for project titled ‘LGBTIQ+ experiences of COVID-19 (UK and Brazil)’, Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

2019: Early Career Visiting Fellowship, Australian Centre for Culture, Environment, Society and Space (ACCESS), University of Wollongong.

Project team

  • Dr Billy Tusker Haworth (they/them or he/him) – Principal investigator and project manager, Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute (HCRI), University of Manchester
  • Mr Luan Carpes Barros Cassal (he/him) – Research assistant, University of Manchester
  • Mr Tiago de Paula Muniz (he/him) – Research assistant, HCRI, University of Manchester
  • Dr Christine Eriksen (she/her) – Collaborator, Center for Security Studies, ETH Zurich
  • Dr Scott McKinnon (he/him)  – Collaborator, University of Wollongong
  • Dr Stephanie Rinaldi (she/her) – Altruistic administrative consultant, HCRI, University of Manchester