Lesbian and Bisexual Women’s Experience of Emergency Management

As climate change exacerbates exposure to disasters, a growing body of scholarship provides evidence that some groups experience significant barriers in accessing and participating in emergency services. This article reports on the findings of an exploratory, qualitative study involving in-depth interviews with four lesbian or bisexual women in Australia. The aim of the study is to better understand the degree to which emergency services’ policies, programs and procedures accommodate diversity and the needs of lesbian and bisexual women as ‘clients’ and paid staff or volunteers. Results are organised under five key categories: language; discrimination; sector acknowledgment; the role of faith-based organisations; and ways forward. The data is presented through the women’s voices and documents their lived experiences of discrimination. The study provides an opportunity to consider how discrimination against sexual and gender identity diverse minorities (LGBT people) intersects with, as it draws on, discrimination against women, increasing lesbian and bisexual women’s experiences of marginalisation as emergency sector clients, employees and volunteers. It also provides an opportunity to address the effects of systemic discrimination in the organisation and delivery of emergency services, promoting a more diverse and inclusive emergency sector.