[URBAN NOTE] "They’re queer. They’re here."

[rfmcdonald]

The article highlighted on the front page of the most recent issue of The Grid was an article, by Sarah Liss and Rachel Giese, examining the situations of GLBT refugee claimants in Toronto. Liss and Giese profile four different claimants, From countries as diverse as Nigeria and Russia, and place their claims in the context of a complicating situation for refugees in Toronto.

At the end of March, 30,000 Ugandans gathered at a stadium in Kampala for a celebration in honour of President Yoweri Museveni. The leader had just passed harsh new laws that require citizens to report gay people to authorities and mandate that “repeat homosexuals” be jailed for life. (The original bill included a death-penalty clause, which was ultimately dropped.) The crowd laughed and sang, waving placards that read “Thank you for saving the future of Uganda” and “Homosexuality = AIDS = 100%.”

The nation is one of the most dangerous in the world for LGBT people, its homophobia fuelled in part by U.S.–funded evangelical churches. In 2011, David Kato, a prominent gay activist, was bludgeoned to death at his home after a newspaper ran photos, names, and addresses of LGBT people in Uganda along with a banner that read “Hang Them.”

Uganda is among about 80 countries that criminalize homosexuality. In Brunei, one can be stoned to death; in Saudi Arabia, penalties include lashings, chemical castration, torture, and execution. LGBT people in Jamaica, Pakistan, Morocco, and Belize face long prison sentences. Last year, Russia enacted legislation outlawing pro-gay “propaganda,” which can encompass everything from Pride parades to writing a gay-positive newspaper article.

Canada, with its anti-discrimination protections, its recognition of same-sex marriage, and widespread societal acceptance, has become a haven for LGBT refugees seeking a new home. “We are one of a small number of countries that accept SOGI—that’s sexual orientation and gender identity—claims,” says Rohan Sajnani, lead researcher for the Canadian Asylum Working Group, which is part of the civil-rights organization Envisioning Global LGBT Human Rights. “And Canada does have a good history of being a welcoming place.”

Toronto has a number of support networks for LGBT refugees, like a weekly drop-in meeting at The 519 Community Centre and a sponsorship project and advocacy program at the Metropolitan Community Church. These organizations help newcomers navigate their way through asylum-claims procedures, which culminate with an Immigration and Refugee Board hearing.

However, despite these initiatives, many struggles exist for those seeking asylum. Sajnani says the current system poses specific challenges for LGBT people. “This is a population who’ve spent their entire lives hiding who they are,” he says. “Now they’re being asked to prove they are gay. They are often reluctant to trust authority figures and are grappling with internalized homophobia and shame.”