LGBT community steps up hurricane relief efforts

The LGBT community and allied organizations are actively involved in hurricane relief efforts at local, state and national levels.
The full scope of the damage inflicted by Hurricane Katrina will likely take months to ascertain. What is immediately clear is the enormous suffering experienced by hundreds of thousands of people throughout Louisiana and Mississippi who have lost loved ones, been displaced from their homes and disconnected from their families.
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is providing myriad resources through its Web site (http://www.thetaskforce.org/katrinaaid) for people wishing to donate funds and help survivors in need of the most basic support, or for those seeking services in their area.
These resources provide information on how the various relief efforts are directing the funds received; some seek to support lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people specifically, while others seek to help all victims of the hurricane.
Also included on the Task Force Web site are resources for people from the affected region who may be in need of direct services, including information about how LGBT community centers in Texas are assisting people displaced by the hurricane, and resources to meet the needs of HIV-positive individuals.
This resource list will be updated on a regular basis. For details, visit http://www.thetaskforce.org/katrinaaid.