climateLGBTuclaWashington DC

One might have thought that climate change doesn’t discriminate, but a new UCLA study appears to have put paid to that myth. The report, from the Williams Institute at the university’s School of Law, argues that “same-sex couples are disproportionately located in coastal areas and cities” and “are more likely to reside in communities with poorer infrastructure and less access to resources”. It gets worse for gay citizens, though: according to the study, “LGBT populations face additional disparities in housing, health care, income, and access to food.”

There has been plenty of mirth online at the UCLA findings, with journalist Will Kingston remarking, “As I suspected, climate change is homophobic.” This climate-based discrimination extends to “wildfires, floods, smoke-filled skies, and drought”, according to the report. Washington DC has the highest proportion of gay couples of any county in the US, and is also vulnerable to heatwaves, floods and strong winds. Be careful out there.