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Toward a Queer Epistemology of Disasters: Tohoku LGBT Community Responses to the 2011 Great East Japan Disasters
Topics: Hazards, Risks, and Disasters
, Gender
, Sexuality
Keywords: Queer, Disasters, Natural Hazards, Japan Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract Day: Friday Session Start / End Time: 2/25/2022 05:20 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/25/2022 06:40 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) Room: Virtual 61
Authors:
Natasha Fox, University of British Columbia, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada
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Abstract
In 2011 LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people in communities in northeastern Japan (the region known as Tohoku) were among those impacted by the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown. In the period following the earthquake and tsunami a small number of LGBT survivors in the region began responding to the crisis in their communities, organizing resources and information and building networks of support. Their activities illustrate an alternative to standard modes of disaster response, incorporating both local knowledge and lived experiences of marginalized people as its base. This project investigates how Tohoku LGBT community members identified challenges and devised solutions that were not anticipated by standard disaster planning processes in place at the time of the 2011 disasters. By drawing upon a body of expertise generated through shared experiences of everyday heteronormativity and cisnormativity, these activities offer a new lens to view disaster preparation, response and recovery.
Toward a Queer Epistemology of Disasters: Tohoku LGBT Community Responses to the 2011 Great East Japan Disasters