As Los Angeles Burns, Pride Magazine Highlights Woke Priorities Over Crisis

While wildfires ravage large swathes of the Palisades and surrounding areas in Los Angeles, one peculiar focus has emerged in the media: the celebration of the first openly LGBTQ+ fire chief for the city of Los Angeles, Kristin Crowley. Over 5,000 acres consumed, more than 1,000 structures reduced to rubble, and untold numbers of residents seeing their lives turned upside down-the better angle for Pride Magazine is to highlight the sexuality of Crowley.

Los Angeles, stretched to the breaking point by rising crime and homelessness, contends with “one of the most destructive firestorms in memory,” says The Los Angeles Times. Yet, while the Times reports on the devastation and its toll, Pride Magazine veers the storyline to Crowley’s LGBTQ+ milestone, as if identity politics can douse flames or reconstruct homes. You can view the original article here, an archived HTML version here, and a screenshot of the page here in case they attempt to remove the evidence.

Leadership Under Fire

Crowley, who was appointed in 2022, has quite the resume: firefighter, paramedic, engineer, and deputy chief. But her short tenure as fire chief has come under scrutiny as the city faces wildfires stoked by Santa Ana winds and drought conditions. Critics wonder if her priorities have been where they need to be-fire prevention and emergency response-or if they’ve been muddled by woke initiatives.

Conservative commentator James Woods targeted Crowley’s official bio, which trumpets “diversity, inclusion, and equity” – DEI, as the acronym goes – as top priorities. “Refilling water reservoirs,” he mused, may have been a higher priority. Woods’s tweet was on point with many frustrated Angelenos who view DEI as a distraction rather than a solution.

Identity Politics Over Public Safety?

Public reaction has been swift and critical, with online forums lighting up with comments that reflect a growing frustration with leadership more concerned with symbolic milestones than competence.

These types of sentiments point to the breakdown in trust between citizens and leadership when virtue signaling replaces effective governance.

The Real Crisis: Leadership or Priorities?

Southern California has repeatedly fallen under wildfires, which necessitate proactive action and sharp-eyed leadership. In light of these fires, Southern Californians rightly ask, why wasn’t enough done to get ready for this? Was the preoccupation with DEI by Crowley taking attention and vital resources away from desperately needed fire mitigation strategies?

This is not to discredit Crowley’s qualifications but to question the larger implications of the identity politics that have become the centerpiece of leadership. Competence, not identity, is what should be at the heart of public service.

A Call to Action

Los Angeles needs leaders more concerned with delivering results rather than rhetoric. As decent as the jargon of DEI initiatives may sound, they mean absolutely nothing if disasters are supposed to be managed through preparedness, swift response, and commitment to residents’ safety irrespective of their demography.

It’s about time leadership was held accountable and refocused their attention on what matters: the protection of life and property. Join the conversation below and share your thoughts: Are we sacrificing competence at the altar of identity politics?