Initiatives Protect and Empower Members of LGBTQIA+ Community
June is Pride Month, and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) proudly recognizes LGBTQIA+ achievements, culture and continued advocacy for equality for every Californian.
Through grants, programs and partnerships, Cal OES is committed to protecting and strengthening organizations that support members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
As an organization, Cal OES also works to create safe and supportive spaces for team members and the communities we serve in the nation’s most diverse state.
Created in 2022, Cal OES’ Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion works to ensure the principles of equity, justice, inclusion, transparency and accountability govern all aspects of emergency services.
This includes implementing inclusive policies and best practices for local governments and non-governmental organizations to ensure LGBTQIA+ individuals are equitably served during emergencies and natural disasters, in alignment with Senate Bill 990.
One example is the Priority Populations Task Force’s (PPT) formal identification of the LGBTQIA+ community as a priority population. Priority populations are determined through data analysis. The task force works with federal, state and local jurisdictions during a disaster to identify gaps and resource needs.
Other Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives include:
- Inclusive Hiring Practices
- The office promotes the use of inclusive language in job postings and duty statements to encourage applications from a broad range of candidates.
- Listos California Grant Program
- The grants support communities at the highest risk for severe disaster impacts, including the LGBTQIA+ community. Funding is awarded to community-based organizations to provide community-specific services and resources for disaster survivors to reduce disparities in health and well-being and to support long-term resilience.
- Training Campaign
- Cal OES will launch a new internal training campaign for all employees this year that’s focused on building self-awareness and fostering a culture of inclusion. The initiative is designed to empower staff to recognize the value of diverse perspectives and equip them with tools to actively contribute to a more inclusive and equitable workplace.
In the spring, the Victim Services Branch, awarded a record-breaking $76 million in grants to protect nonprofit organizations that support people at an increased risk for hate-motivated violence and crimes due to gender identity, sexual orientation, and other social inequalities.
The significant investments enable organizations, including a LGBTQIA+ community center, to make physical security enhancements to bolster community members’ safety.
The Victim Services Branch operates more than 40 programs that serve survivors who identify as belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community.
The branch also oversees four competitive grant funding programs focusing on LGBTQIA+ survivors:
- Equality in Prevention and Services for Domestic Abuse Program
- Improve domestic violence services for members of the LGBTQIA+ community to increase access to culturally appropriate domestic violence education, prevention, outreach and services for these unserved/underserved communities.
- Specialized Emergency Housing Program
- Provide emergency housing assistance resources and specialized services for survivors of crime, including for homeless youth, elderly, disabled, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning.
- Unserved/Underserved Victim Advocacy and Outreach Program
- Increase access to culturally appropriate services for unserved/underserved survivors of crime.
- Innovative Response to Marginalized Survivors Program
- Support innovative projects that serve marginalized survivors of crime, including those who have experienced gang violence, refugees, transgender young adults, and foster care youth, among other survivor groups.
Cal OES’ Homeland Security Division is also dedicated to preventing, mitigating and investigating hate-motivated violence.