Fleeing for Identity: The Plight of LGBTQI+ Refugees and the Welcome Corps Initiative

The journey of fleeing one’s homeland is riddled with adversity for all individuals. But for those who identify as LGBTQI+, escaping persecution rooted in their sexual orientation or their gender identity/expression adds an extra layer of vulnerability. The myriad significant challenges confronting LGBTQI+ individuals worldwide, compelling them to seek refuge, and the multifaceted issues they encounter in resettlement countries are manifold. However, the United States government’s Welcome Corps program stands as a beacon of hope for many in such circumstances.

A World of Persecution

Globally, nearly 70 countries criminalize same-sex relations, with some imposing the death penalty. This legal landscape fosters a climate of violence, discrimination, and social exclusion, forcing many LGBTQI+ individuals to flee their homes in search of safety and acceptance. In Chechnya, for instance, documented cases of torture and imprisonment of gay men highlight the brutal reality faced by many. Even in countries where same-sex relations are legal, societal prejudice and lack of legal recognition for same-sex partnerships and gender identity can lead to social isolation, economic hardship, and limited access to healthcare, education, and employment.

Many young LGBTQI+ Africans, for example, flee due to a confluence of issues. Underlying political and economic instability is compounded by violently homophobic environments and laws criminalizing their existence. Recent legislation in Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana, and other countries considering a similar path further marginalizes the community, leading to an increased number of queer people seeking refuge. Those who choose to stay and fight for their rights are daily hounded, discriminated against, and targeted by state and non-state actors.

Double Jeopardy: The Challenges of Resettlement

While escaping persecution is essential, resettlement presents its own set of challenges for LGBTQI+ refugees. Historically, members of LGBTQI+ communities who have been able to get into the United States often used the asylum process as a means to access immediate resettlement after fleeing hostile environments. However, despite many of its benefits, navigating the asylum process can be daunting, particularly due to the complex legal frameworks and the burden of proof of persecution based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Unlike refugees fleeing conflict or natural disasters, they often lack the traditional forms of “proof” of danger typically expected, such as documentation of arrest or physical harm. Additionally, cultural and linguistic barriers, coupled with potential discrimination within refugee communities and the receiving society, further complicate integration.

Limited access to culturally competent healthcare, including mental health support, and the lack of a sufficient social safety net further complicate resettlement. Many LGBTQI+ refugees grapple with the trauma of past experiences, often compounded by the anxieties of resettlement. They may have faced rejection from their families, violence from their communities, and limited access to mental health support in their home countries. These experiences can lead to depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), further hindering their ability to integrate and rebuild their lives.

Beyond Legal Status: The Social Dimension of Resettlement

Beyond addressing the immediate challenges of legal status and basic needs, fostering a sense of belonging and social inclusion is crucial for the long-term well-being of LGBTQI+ refugees. Feeling safe to express one’s authentic self and having access to supportive social networks are fundamental aspects of successful integration. However, many traditional refugee resettlement programs fall short in this aspect.

The US Welcome Corps: A Beacon of Hope

The United States’ innovative Welcome Corps program, launched in 2022, harnesses the power of community sponsorship to support refugee resettlement. Groups of individuals can directly sponsor refugees, providing vital financial and social assistance during their initial integration. In its first year, the State Department aimed to mobilize 10,000 Americans as private sponsors, welcoming at least 5,000 refugees.

However, identifying LGBTQI+ individuals within the system has proven challenging due to security concerns and confidentiality policies. Despite these hurdles, Rainbow Railroad, a leading civil society partner working with the government on this program, reports LGBTQI+ refugees are beginning to be resettled through the Welcome Corp program. They, along with the Council for Global Equality (CGE) and other partners, have proposed solutions to address these identification challenges. Moreover, the program’s second “naming” phase empowers private sponsor groups to identify LGBTQI+ refugees for referral to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, while also supporting those the government has already identified.

The Welcome Corps program holds immense potential for LGBTQI+ refugees, offering a more personalized and culturally sensitive approach to resettlement as compared to traditional models. Sponsors can provide vital support in navigating language barriers, accessing healthcare, and integrating into local communities. This is essential, because many LGBTQI+ people fleeing persecution often leave all they know and loved ones behind before moving to a country where they have no connection or sometimes even no knowledge of its people, culture, and way of life. Competently trained sponsors through the Welcome Corps program play a beneficial role in ensuring that LGBTQI+ refugees who come through the program have the right knowledge and tools for a safe landing and integration into their new home and for the proper rebuilding of their lives.

Recently, the Washington Blade reported on a gay refugee from El Salvador who found resettlement in the Washington, D.C. area through this program. Escaping an environment steeped in extreme and violent homophobia, he left his familial and social ties behind, seeking assistance through a local organization, where he became acquainted with the Welcome Corps program. Upon his arrival in D.C., he was warmly embraced by a cohort of sponsors with whom he was matched through the program. They provided him with essential resources to facilitate his settlement and commence the process of rebuilding his life. CGE’s own Ian Lekus, one of the program hosts for another refugee from Latin America arriving this month, encapsulated their dedication with the statement, “Our group has been working for many months to help an LGBTQI+ refugee restart their life in safety and dignity, and we’re incredibly excited to welcome them to D.C. in April to do just that.” This successful kickoff of the program holds promise.

For organizations like CGE, Rainbow Railroad, and HIAS that are collaborating with the U.S. government to ensure the Welcome Corps program’s effective implementation, the arrival and seamless integration of LGBTQI+ refugees underscore the significance of community-driven approaches to intricate challenges. The Welcome Corps program also exemplifies the power of government action coupled with community support.  Many within the LGBTQI+ community have volunteered their time and resources, and this collective action is vital for the program’s success. As the program grows, more volunteers, resources, and organizations will be needed for sustainability.

The Global Landscape: A Call for Collective Action

Many in the LGBTQI+ community have come forward to show their support for the Welcome Corps program, and in some instances, volunteered their time and resources to help refugees coming through the program. This kind of collective action and community support is very necessary for the success of this program. As the program is technically still in its early days, groups are expecting an increasing number of LGBTQI+ refugees who will be coming through the program and needing help resettling. That means that many more volunteers, groups, resources, and organizations will be needed to carry this program forward to ensure sustainability. You can learn more and to sign up to sponsor a refugee through the Welcome Corps site here. (To specifically sponsor an LGBTQI+ refugee in the United States through Rainbow Railroad, visit this site; for sponsoring an LGBTQI+ refugee in Canada via Rainbow Railroad, click here.)

Moreover, while the Welcome Corps program presents promise, long-term diplomacy and development holds the key to resolving the refugee crisis, particularly considering that not all persecuted LGBTQI+ individuals can flee their circumstances or even want to leave their nations of origin. A concerted and inclusive global strategy is imperative to tackle the underlying causes of persecution and advocate for international protective measures. This entails:

• Advocacy for the global decriminalization of same-sex relationships: Engaging in international diplomacy and fostering dialogue with countries that criminalize LGBTQI+ individuals is crucial. This can involve utilizing international forums and leveraging multilateral channels to advocate for the repeal of discriminatory laws and the upholding of basic human rights for all.
• Supporting local LGBTQI+ organizations in countries of origin: Providing resources and support to LGBTQI+ organizations in countries where individuals face persecution can empower them to advocate for their rights, provide safe spaces, and offer crucial support services to those most vulnerable and in need of support to flee.
• Promoting cultural understanding and combating discrimination: Engaging in public education campaigns and fostering dialogue within refugee communities and broader society can play a significant role in dismantling discriminatory attitudes and promoting understanding and acceptance of LGBTQI+ individuals.

The journey of fleeing as a refugee for LGBTQI+ individuals is a complex and often perilous one. While the Welcome Corps program already shows signs of success and signifies a positive step towards offering support and fostering a sense of belonging in the United States, a multifaceted approach is necessary to address the global challenges faced by the community. By combining innovative resettlement programs with robust advocacy efforts and fostering a climate of global acceptance, we can work towards a world where individuals can live authentically and free from persecution, regardless of their sexual orientation or their gender identity/expression, either in their home of birth or chosen country without the need to become a refugee.

(photos courtesy of Rainbow Railroad)

Don’t Sell Out LGBTQI+ Refugees & Asylum Seekers

According to numerous media reports, Senate and White House negotiators are very close to announcing a deal that would swap Democratic votes for permanent changes to the U.S. immigration system in exchange for Republican approval of short-term military assistance to key U.S. allies.

While we remain skeptical that any deal will clear the increasingly high political hurdles in both the Seante and the House, we are nonetheless worried that even the outline of a bad deal — even a potentially moribund one — could set a catastrophic precedent that will eventually undermine our asylum system.

Such an agreement, should it be passed by both houses of Congress, would unlock funding and equipment for Ukraine previously opposed by Republicans, along with aid to Israel and Indo-Pacific partners. In turn, Democrats would bow to Republican demands for much stricter standards for claiming asylum, billions of dollars for expanded border policing, and new expulsion and enforcement mechanisms.

Such radical concessions would be inhumane, irresponsible, and profoundly dangerous for all seeking sanctuary in the United States — and especially so for LGBTQI+ refugees and asylum seekers.

The reported dangerous and highly politicized proposals would put asylum out of reach for many, if not most, refugees. This includes denying protection for thousands of LGBTQI+ asylum seekers fleeing persecution and torture. These proposals are reminiscent of the draconian agenda of former President Donald Trump and of Stephen Miller, his viciously anti-immigrant chief advisor.

The concessions reportedly being negotiated include either reimplementing the disastrous Title 42 law or introducing a similar broad expulsions policy; instituting a heightened “credible fear” standard for refugee screenings; and expanding the Family Expedited Removal Management (FERM) program.

These concessions would be nightmarish for all those trying to secure refuge in the United States, and especially to asylum seekers from marginalized groups, as they expand removal mechanisms and as they build walls to prevent refugees from ever having the chance to sit for an asylum hearing.

We further want to note the particular implications of the proposed deal for LGBTQI+ refugees:

• Reinstituting mass expulsions that give any President the power to indefinitely and unilaterally shut down access to asylum at the border. As we saw under the deadly Title 42 policy, over 13,000 migrants were subjected to severe violence in Mexico, including LGBTQI+ asylum seekers who were kidnapped, raped, and assaulted. Today, cartels, smugglers, police, and others continue to target queer and trans asylum seekers for sexual violence, kidnapping, and abuse as they wait in Mexico for a CBP One appointment to enter the United States. Beyond the dangers posed under the current system, the proposed changes would force LGBTQI+ asylum seekers into a dangerous, even lethal, limbo where they must choose between returning to their persecutors in their country of origin, remaining in danger in an unsafe third country, or entering the United States without authorization.

• Enacting a “Transit Ban” or “Safe Third Country” Agreements That Will Subject LGBTQI+ Asylum Seekers to Mortal Danger.  In reality, applying for asylum in common transit countries is simply not an option. Many LGBTQI+ asylum seekers have reported that they could not request asylum in a transit country because they were unsafe, and it was unclear if they could even base a claim on persecution on account of their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. Indeed, most common transit countries — including, Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala — have long, documented histories of severe violence against LGBTQI+ people. Forcing queer and trans people to seek protection in places that cannot provide it, endangering LGBTQI+ lives in the process, must be rejected.

• Raising the Asylum Screening Standard, Resulting in Bona Fide LGBTQI+ Refugees Being Returned to Persecution. Credible Fear Interviews (CFIs) are preliminary screenings usually performed in immigration detention without an attorney. Asylum seekers that pass this initial CFI screening may be admitted to the United States on a temporary basis, but they still must sit at a later date for a more formal adjudication under a higher well-founded fear standard. Because they are preliminary, the CFI screenings are often conducted very shortly after an asylum seeker survives a treacherous journey to the border. As such, many LGBTQI+ asylum seekers fleeing persecution who have suffered sexual violence and other severe mistreatment on the journey to the United States may not yet be ready to share their full story. Recognizing the circumstances of flight, Congress intentionally established the credible fear standard as a low bar so that “there should be no danger that a [person] with a genuine asylum claim will be returned to persecution.” Still, under current CFI standards, LGBTQI+ refugees with strong claims are wrongly denied a credible fear. This is due to a variety of factors, including fear of disclosing LGBTQI+ status to government officials, insufficient privacy in detention facilities where CFIs are often held, insufficient time to understand the process or speak with an attorney, and lack of LGBTQI+ competency or other errors among immigration officers. Despite the successful reversal of some negative CFIs by CGE members and partners, most individuals are deported before they can access an attorney to assist in overturning a denial. Plus, restrictions under the Biden Administration’s current policies have made challenging these denials even more difficult. The number of erroneous denials will skyrocket if the standard is heightened. LGBTQI+ refugees who would normally qualify for asylum will instead be returned to countries of persecution.

• Forcing More Low-Risk but Highly Vulnerable LGBTQI+ Asylum Seekers into Detention Where They Will Be Abused, while Costing American Taxpayers Billions. For years, immigrants’ rights organizations have warned DHS that throwing asylum seekers in prisons is dangerous and irresponsible. Voluminous reports have documented dangerous and inhumane detention conditions, including sexual assault, medical neglect, and other homophobic and transphobic abuse directed at detained LGBTQI+ asylum seekers. Tragically, abuses have continued under the Biden Administration. Jailing traumatized and vulnerable asylum seekers in abusive prisons is morally reprehensible. Detention already costs American taxpayers billions each year, and increasing it will mean millions or billions more going directly into the pockets of the private prison industry. The Biden Administration should be limiting detention, not increasing it.

These short-sighted changes all fail to tackle any of the real issues preventing LGBTQI+ refugees from securing safety, such as a years’ long backlog and insufficient capacity for humane processing at the border. The reported measures would also cost American taxpayers billions of dollars without fixing our broken immigration system, and they would be immensely unpopular with the American people who want real solutions and who are strongly in favor of protecting refugees.

Make no mistake, destroying asylum will not fix the immigration system, solve problems along the southern border, or diminish the “push” factors that compel LGBTQI+ individuals to flee their countries. It will, however, result in the preventable persecution, torture, and death of thousands of LGBTQI+ refugees.

Instead, the Biden Administration should follow through on its promise to protect vulnerable LGBTQI+ refugees and asylum seekers by:

• halting the use and defense of the Administration’s “Circumvention of Lawful Pathways” rule which has already been found illegal; and
• finally rescind the Trump-era “Procedures for Asylum and Withholding of Removal; Credible Fear and Reasonable Fear Review” rule.

Both rules threaten the lives of LGBTQI+ asylum seekers. The 2023 Circumvention of Lawful Pathways rule bars refugees from asylum based on their manner of entry into the United States and their transit through third countries, factors that do not relate to their persecution or fear of return. It applies only to refugees who enter at the southwest border, the vast majority of whom are people of color. It punishes and bans refugees fleeing LGBTQI+, political, religious, race-based, gender-based, and other persecution. The ban applies not only in full asylum adjudications but also in preliminary screenings at the border, which resulting in mass deportations of refugees without a hearing.

The 2020 “Procedures for Asylum and Withholding of Removal; Credible Fear and Reasonable Fear Review” rule includes numerous provisions that put LGBTQI+ refugees and others from particular risk by banning from asylum, or denying asylum to, refugees who suffered brief detentions or escaped their persecutors before threats could be carried out; who transited through other countries on their way to the United States; who crossed into the United States between ports of entry or were unable to precisely articulate the legal parameters of their persecuted social group at their hearings. It also blocks asylum seekers from due process, removal hearings and other forms of immigration relief; allows adjudicators to deny asylum without ever hearing an asylum seeker’s testimony; illegally raises the credible fear screening standard set by Congress; and provides for the removal of torture survivors back to where they were persecuted.

In the short term, this disastrous deal may be torpedoed by Speaker Mike Johnson and far-right House Republicans — especially since Trump slammed the negotiations last week. For those extremists, any compromise on border security short of full passage of H.R. 2 — which has no chance of passage in a Democratic-controlled Senate — is insufficiently cruel and irresponsible.

In the long term, however, the Democrats must not trade away the fundamental right to seek asylum for political expediency ahead of this year’s elections or even for the urgent goal of helping Ukraine resist Russian aggression. The U.S. Refugee Act of 1980 guarantees that right to any person “with a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion,” and both parties should reaffirm America’s commitment to protecting those seeking refuge.

The drivers of the global refugee crisis — war and other violence, authoritarian repression, poverty, and climate change — show no signs of ebbing, and refugee and asylum mechanisms must be strengthened, not dismantled. This is even more essential for LGBTQI+ refugees and for members of other marginalized groups. The Council for Global Equality calls on President Biden and Congressional leaders in both parties to not sell out LGBTQI+ refugees and asylum seekers, not now and not ever.

Global Equality Today (September 2023)

Happy Autumn! (Almost)

True, neither the calendar nor the temperatures in D.C. quite reflect that fall is upon us. But we’re already diving into what will certainly be a very busy season here in Washington. CGE and its 35 member organizations are hard at work engaging our partners in the Administration and on Capitol Hill to ensure that U.S. foreign policy consistently and comprehensively promotes LGBTQI+ human rights around the world.

There are plenty of challenges in front of us, from the possibility of a government shutdown, the PEPFAR reauthorization stalemate, and the distractions of the 2024 election cycle to a flood of viciously anti-LGBTQI+ legislative efforts, not only here in the United States but in dozens of other countries as well.

But we are not approaching our mission from a defensive posture, no matter how well-organized the movement to roll back the human rights of LGBTQI+ people — and democracy and civil society at large — might be. Instead, with sixteen months to go in this first Biden Administration, we are focused on institutionalizing our victories and expanding our pro-human rights agenda:

• Alongside HRC, we are working with our Hill allies calling for the President’s Budget request to include $40 million for the State Department’s Global Equality Fund (GEF) and $30 million for USAID’s Inclusive Development Hub’s Protection of LGBTQI+ Persons in the FY2025 State and Foreign Operations appropriations bills. We are also partnering with numerous allies in the HIV and SRHR (sexual and reproductive health and rights) movements to pass a clean PEPFAR reauthorization, even in the face of unprecedented attacks from the anti-abortion movement.

• CGE — in collaboration with Rainbow Railroad, ORAM, Immigration Equality, and IRAP, all CGE members — is working with the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration to ensure that the Biden Administration’s direct referral and private sponsorship mechanisms for refugees are both fully LGBTQI+-inclusive and fully operational. This includes promoting Rainbow Railroad’s referrals to  the new Welcome Corps program that will allow local groups to sponsor LGBTQI+ refugees to bring them to safety in the United States. (You can read more in our World Refugee Day blog.)

• We are excited by USAID’s release of its revised and expanded LGBTQI+ Inclusive Development Policy, and we are looking forward to collaborating with USAID’s Senior LGBTQI+ Coordinator, Jay Gilliam, and his team to make sure that LGBTQI+ concerns are truly incorporated throughout the Agency’s work. To that end, we’ve added meetings with USAID’s regional and thematic bureaus to our annual meetings with State’s regional bureaus. And we are supporting the development of a new accountability mechanism at USAID to ensure that any violations of this groundbreaking new policy — or any other USAID policies ­— are reported and addressed at the local level.  

• We are working hard with Ugandan activists on the ground and with a global solidarity coalition organizing to overturn the horrific Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA) assented to by President Museveni in May. The law has a genocidal intent and is already being implemented to disastrous effect. We are simultaneously working with regional colleagues to prevent the passage of similar anti-LGBTQI+ bills in other African countries, including Ghana and Kenya. Likewise, we are monitoring the deteriorating situation in the Middle East, where anti-LGBTQI+ legislation is pending and attacks on the LGBTQI+ communities are escalating, notably in Lebanon and Iraq.

• As part of our work fighting the AHA in Uganda, CGE met with U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to call for the suspension of Uganda from AGOA, the African Growth and Opportunity Act, which provides preferential trade benefits for qualifying countries. The AHA — the most draconian anti-LGBTQI+ law in the world — clearly contravenes the human rights requirements of the program, as well as the goals and ideals that animate the AGOA trade framework. CGE also has submitted public comments on Uganda, Kenya, and Ghana — in the latter two cases, with the goal of building pressure to scrap proposed anti-LGBTQI+ laws there — and will continue to work with our partners in the Administration and on the Hill to use U.S. trade policy as a tool to promote human rights.

CGE Co-Chairs Julie Dorf and Mark Bromley with U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, center.

• We will continue to work with U.S., European, and Central Asian partners to push Uzbekistan for full decriminalization of homosexuality and the immediate end to the pervasive human rights violations committed against Uzbekistan’s LGBTQI+ community by state and non-state actors. This spring and summer, CGE and its partners have been meeting regularly with Congressional partners to promote this priority and to oppose rewarding Tashkent with normal trade relations without improving its human rights record. As Senators Murphy and Young introduce legislation to repeal Jackson-Vanik trade restrictions on Uzbekistan and its neighbors, we call on Congress and the Administration to ensure that human rights standards — including the decriminalization of homosexuality — are part of the trade normalization process.

Looking over the last few months, our work has included…

• CGE released an updated and expanded edition of Accessing U.S. Embassies: A Guide for LGBTQI+ Human Rights Defenders, our resource for helping international partners understand and access U.S. embassies and missions and build and maintain productive working relationships with U.S. diplomatic and development staff in around the world. This guide, released in English in June, will soon be available in Spanish, French, and Arabic as well.

• In May, CGE Co-Chair Mark Bromley attended the inaugural meeting of the P7 (for “Pride7”) that brought together LGBTQI+ advocates from the world’s leading industrial democracies to lobby the G7 alliance to promote LGBTQI+ human rights. The P7 meeting, ahead of the full G7 summit in Hiroshima, helped win support for passage of Japan’s first-ever LGBTQI+ rights legislation (as incomplete as the law may be) as well as lay the groundwork for the P7 becoming an officially recognized civil society engagement group attached to the G7.

CGE Co-Chair Mark Bromley joins other advocates at the inaugural meeting of the P7 in Tokyo

• At a June reception, CGE honored former Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) with our Global Equality Award shortly after he left Congress to lead the Rhode Island Foundation. We had the opportunity to talk with Rep. Cicilline about his leadership with the Congressional Equality Caucus and the Foreign Affairs Committee, the progress we’ve made during his dozen years in Congress, and the opportunities we see and the challenges we’re facing. Additionally, Ambassador Ursu Viorel of Moldova spoke powerfully about being the first openly LGBTQI+ Ambassador from a former Soviet republic and his country’s fundamental commitment to democracy and human rights — even as Russia wages war next door in Ukraine.

Top: former Rep. David Cicilline accepts the Global Equality Award

Bottom: Amb. Ursu Viorel of Moldova speaks to the reception

• In May, we spoke with Alexander Voronov, Executive Director of Coming Out, an NGO that provides legal, psychological, and other direct services to Russia’s LGBTQI+ community. Alex spoke about Coming Out’s continuing work, even in the face of the worsening crackdown on dissent in Putin’s Russia following the invasion of Ukraine — a crackdown that forced him to leave the country and function from exile.

• For IDAHOBIT, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia, and Transphobia, we welcomed the U.S. government’s rollout of its Interagency Action Plan dedicated to ending so-called “conversion therapy” (CTP) practices around the world. With this plan, the U.S. government has committed itself to the numerous partnerships necessary to stop these abusive practices. This includes working with LGBTQI+ community groups around the world; with like-minded allies and other partner governments; and with faith leaders, educators, professional associations, and other civil society networks. The U.S. government also plans to work to end CTPs at various multilateral fora, including the development banks and international institutions to which the United States is a party, to ensure that no financial or programmatic support, direct or otherwise, goes towards CTPs.

• For Pride in June — knowing how easy it is to focus on the backlash and the battles we’re fighting — we published a list of 23 recent victories in the movement for LGBTQI+ justice and human rights. We also reiterated how Pride marches are both expressions of fundamental rights to democratic participation and tools for promoting inclusivity, visibility, and acceptance. CGE staff also attended the annual State Department and USAID Pride receptions, meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Administrator Samantha Power, respectively.

Co-Chair Julie Dorf and CGE member leaders meet with Secretary of State Blinken, left

• Additionally, at the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, CGE promotes accountability and investments that support LGBTQI+-inclusive development. CGE staff helped organize several World Bank meetings over the summer that ultimately led to the freezing of new investments in Uganda following the adoption of the AHA.

World Refugee Day: #LGBTrefugeeswelcome

For World Refugee Day, we stand with the millions of refugees who have been forced to flee their homes to seek safety in distant lands. The current levels of refugee flight and displacement represent the highest levels in modern history. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) reports that 65.6 million people around the world have been forced from home in recent years, including 22.5 million refugees, most of whom are under 18. In the time that it takes to read this article, conflict and persecution will drive 20 more people into forced displacement.

We know, too, that there are many LGBT refugees who are caught in this massive displacement. Many are fleeing the same conflict and instability that drives their neighbors from their homes, but LGBT refugees are at even greater risk of violence and persecution at every stage in their journey. They often end up in refugee camps or in neighboring countries that are deeply homophobic and transphobic, where they are likely to be violently persecuted because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Tragically, many LGBT refugees who make the excruciating decision to flee for their lives—choosing a dangerously uncertain future over certain death—find themselves even less safe in flight.

Many more refugees are fleeing targeted LGBT violence and persecution in their home countries, especially in the nearly eighty countries that criminalize same-sex relationships and non-conforming gender expression. This LGBT flight deprives emerging economies of dynamic young leaders who should be contributing to the social and economic development of their countries. More tragically, it often deprives the refugees themselves of the security and opportunity they need to build a stable future. And those who chose to stand and fight for their rights may still find the threat of prison and violence overwhelming, and they, too, may need to seek protection abroad one day. In the most violent environments, it may be impossible to survive as someone who is politically “out,” or someone who is proudly identifiable as gender non-conforming. The life expectancy of trans women in parts of Central America is only 35-years.

Today, when the world’s refugees most need our attention and sympathy, we see too many countries, the United States included, shutting borders, building walls and turning boats away from our shores. For those of us who fight for LGBT rights in the United States and abroad, we must recognize the LGBT face of the refugee emergency. This is an LGBT issue. The LGBT community in this country has both the resources and the sensitivities to do more – and those of us who survived years of social rejection, an AIDS pandemic and cycles of political vilification in this country should celebrate that remarkable human drive for authentic self-preservation, which has propelled so many of us to seek safety and a chosen community away from our own small towns or places of birth. Most LGBT refugees continue to live in fear even after fleeing their country of nationality. For them, resettlement to countries like the United States represents their only chance of living in safety. We should welcome LGBT refugees.

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Related Content: 

U.N. Information on World Refugee Day

J Street’s World Refugee Day U. S. Event Map

White House Rally 

 

Council for Global Equality Calls on U.S. Senators to Reject Legislation Abandoning Syrian Refugees

November 25 — Members of the Council for Global Equality today sent a letter to U.S. Senators calling on them to reject legislation, already passed in the House of Representatives as H.R. 4038, that would “bring the refugee resettlement system, which already moves at a very slow pace, to a grinding halt.”  The letter recognizes that LGBT refugees in Syria and Iraq are among the most vulnerable; that they have been hunted down and killed in gruesome public executions; and that they face additional discrimination and violence in flight within their own refugee communities.

The Council’s refugee experts conclude that “[t]hese vulnerable refugees deserve our protection, and we know they can be resettled safely using current security screening and vetting processes. Denying them protection, or limiting protection to those who are Christian only, would be devastating to those who most need our compassion, and it would provide a public relations victory of sorts to ISIS and others who seek to justify their terrorism using cultural and religious propaganda.”

Protecting the persecuted, and resettling vulnerable refugees, are strong U.S. commitments that must not be rejected.  Our nation is better than that.

White House Resources on Syrian Refugees: https://www.whitehouse.gov/campaign/resources-on-syrian-refugees

U.S. gov’t awards $250K to create LGBT refugee resource center

Repost from the Washington Balde

The Obama administration on Wednesday announced that it has awarded $250,000 to a Chicago-based human rights organization to create the first-ever resource center supporting the resettlement of LGBT refugees in the United States.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement, a division of the Administration for Children & Families at the Department of Health & Human Services, gave the $250,000 contract to the Heartland Alliance of Chicago to create a training and technical assistance center for LGBT refugees. Continue reading