Right-wing personalities across the internet blaming the devastating Los Angeles wildfires on LGBTQ+ people, specifically LA Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, who is an out gay woman.

Far right media outlet Newsmax blamed the Los Angeles fire chief for the fires, claiming in a recent broadcast, “Please do not be fooled by what you’re hearing from the media. These are not once-in-a-generation wildfires. This is not climate change. In Los Angeles, it’s the exact same story. Death by DEI, this time with their brand new fire chief.”

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Conservatives blame LA wildfires on fire chief being gay
They don’t know what she did, but her being gay, they say, proves that she was a diversity hire.

There is no evidence that “DEI” – which stands for diversity, equity, and inclusion, referring to initiatives to increase representation of historically oppressed groups – caused these wildfires. Nor is there evidence that Crowley isn’t qualified for her position. She has served as a firefighter, paramedic, fire inspector, engineer, and in multiple high ranking positions throughout her three-decade-long career. She was the first female fire marshal in the city, appointed in 2016, and was in the top 50 of 16,000 applicants when she passed her firefighter exam in the 1990s.

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It is currently thought that these fires are caused by, in large part, climate change altering wind and rain patterns in the region, as well as severe droughts and unusual humidity.

These fires have been devastating the Los Angeles area, displacing over 130,000 people from their homes and destroying nearly 40,000 acres of land. 2,000 buildings were destroyed, and an untold amount of ecological damage is seen in the greater Los Angeles area. Additionally, the health of many residents is severely affected by the heavy smoke that now plagues the region.

Right-wing pundit Megyn Kelly decried the fire chief on her SiriusXM program. “In recent years, LA’s fire chief has made not filling the fire hydrants top priority, but diversity,” she said on Wednesday.

“Who gives a s**t if the fire chief is gay?” she asked sarcastically, even though it appeared that Kelly herself cared about Crowley’s sexuality. “I’m sorry but who gives a flying fig about who she likes to sleep with, can you fight the f**king fires, madam? That’s the relevant question.”

CNN commentator Scott Jennings also blamed diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. 

“There was some interest in the fire departments and the firefighters in California. And the interest was that there were too many white men who were firefighters,” Jennings claimed on Newsnight with Abby Phillip. “And we need to have a program in California to make sure we don’t have enough white men as firefighters. We have DEI, we have budget cuts, and yet I’m wondering now if your house was burning down, how much do you care what color the firefighters are?”

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) shot back at Jennings by pointing out that discriminatory hiring practices that favor straight white men are what prevent qualified applicants for jobs from being considered.

“The fact is, stop trying to act as if only white men are the ones that are capable because right now, you’re sitting at a table with three very capable black women,” she said.

Actor James Woods said on X, “Refilling the water reservoirs would have been a welcome priority, too, but I guess she had too much on her plate promoting diversity.” He didn’t explain why he believes the fire chief of LA should have fixed state water policy. Moreover, the California Department of Water Resources’ website shows that the state’s major reservoirs are at or above their historic levels.

Billionaire and friend of President-elect Donald Trump Elon Musk and hate influencer Chaya Raichik – who goes by “Libs of TikTok” online – made similar claims.

“The LA Fire Dept passed a ‘racial equity plan’ to end ‘systemic, institutional, and structural racism’ in LA. Part of it is a chart to map out the race of every employee to make sure they’re racially diverse enough,” said Raichik, linking racial diversity to the fires.

“They prioritized DEI over saving lives and homes,” said Musk in response. Neither individual offered any proof for their claims.

The Los Angeles Fire Department recently faced nearly $18 million in budget cuts, while the city’s police department’s budget increased.

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