L.A. firefighters' inclusive disaster: when diversity is worth more than saving lives
The department's female chiefs made it their first goal to bring equality to the force. The head of Equity went so far as to state that if she had to pull a man out of a fire, he "got in the wrong place."
Kristine Larson, head of Equidad firefighters LA
The devastating wildfires ravaging Los Angeles have shifted public scrutiny from politicians to the leadership of the fire department. At the helm, observers found Kristin Crowley, an openly lesbian LGBT activist, whose primary goal for her tenure was to "foster a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture within the LAFD." Her deputy and Equity Chief, Kristine Larson, went even further, responding to those questioning whether a woman could rescue a man from the flames by saying, "He got himself in the wrong place if I have to pull him out of a fire."
Although it was not a direct choice by Karen Bass after her arrival at the mayor's office, but rather a legacy of her predecessor, Eric Garcetti, Crowley's ascension came after the resignation of her predecessor, Ralph Terrazas, who was heavily criticized for not taking enough action to "eradicate sexist and racist behavior" within the department. Upon taking office, the first woman and the first LGBT person to hold the position made it clear that DEI policies would be the backbone of her tenure.
Radical defense of DEI policies
Thus, she appointed Kristine Larson to lead the Fire Department's Office of Equity and Human Resources. Following the outbreak of wildfires that have already claimed at least 25 lives in the city, a video resurfaced in which Larson strongly defended her DEI hiring policy, even justifying the inclusion of more women in the department as a gender quota, despite the potential risks it could pose to men's lives because of the biological characteristics of both sexes.
The key moment is when she responded surrealistically to the observation that women firefighters are not strong enough to pull a man out of a burning building. "He in the wrong place if I have to pull him out of a fire," Larson pointed out unabashedly.
Larson was paid $307,000 in 2023
According to California's transparency page, Larson was paid $307,000 for her work as manager of the Angelino firefighters' DEI team.
LATEST
