Features / Refugee
The lifeline group for LGBTQ+ asylum seekers
Zahid, in his 20s, was nearing the end of the first semester of his law degree when he decided to come out to his family.
He had moved to the city from Pakistan where he had practised criminal and civil law for seven months before getting a place at a university in Bristol.
Zahid, who had started dating his now boyfriend, was nervous about telling his mother, father and sister he was gay, though not especially worried as they were all doctors.
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“They are all educated so they will understand this thing, I thought,” Zahid told Bristol24/7. “My partner gave me confidence that I could confront my parents and tell them about my sexuality, so I did.”
“But it didn’t go as well. A week passed, two weeks, three weeks, a month, and they didn’t reply.”
“I was in a jungle with no food, no clothes, nothing,” Zahid said
Zahid was stuck. His parents stopped payments to cover his university fees, rent and other living costs, and a payment was due so that he could enter his second semester.
He thought about returning home to Pakistan, but was afraid. There, same-sex intimacy is prohibited under the Penal Code 1860. Gay sex can result in imprisonment.
“In Pakistan, I would live in fear. If you perform a major sin, the punishment that you will get is stoning to death, or they will simply find a way to kill you,” said Zahid, whose surname and personal details have been withheld to protect his identity.
“When I was cut from my family, I was in a jungle with no food, no clothes, nothing,” he added. “It was really hard to survive. It got to the point when I was sitting in my room for 24 hours a day, not knowing what to do.”
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Then, a lifeline. One day, he was given the number of Tom Daly, the manager of Pride Without Borders, the only group for queer refugees and asylum seekers in Bristol. It’s a project run by Bristol Refugee Rights with two part-time staff and a team of LGBTQ+ volunteers who offer a safe space every other week for LGBTQ+ refugees in the city.
Zahid started going along to group meetings where members share experiences, questions and challenges and offer solidarity in a non-judgmental, caring space. The group gives practical help in signposting to services and navigating the asylum process, with volunteers even going to court as witnesses to offer evidence in some cases.
Members come from countries all over the world, including, India, Bangladesh, Somalia, Eritrea, Uganda, South and Central America, Russia and the Middle East. In many of these countries, same-sex sexual acts are criminalised.
Through the collective power of sharing in music, food and dancing, Pride Without Borders transports refugees and asylum seekers outside the boundaries that are imposed on them.
“We play games, we eat food and sometimes we dance, even though we don’t know how to dance,” Zahid said. “Food and dance is the first way to start a conversation. The more we talk about random things, the more comfortable you feel and start forming bonds with people.”
The project is part of Bristol Refugee Rights and was founded seven years ago. In that time, it has grown from supporting a small handful of people to help 82 members in 2022 with the help of eight volunteers, Daly and a new group facilitator. “It’s evolved enormously,” Daly said.
The project is part of Bristol Refugee Rights
Some 32 meetings and events were held last year, from workshops on ballroom and LGBTQ+ dance culture and a sexual health workshop to attending trans pride in November together.
“There isn’t a LGBT charity doing frontline work like this in Bristol since LGBT Bristol closed” Daly said. “We’re occupying a space that, really, nobody else is in.”
Zahid’s situation is rare. With his student visa still active, he was able to get a job with the Highways Agency and generate an income for himself. But for most refugees and asylum seekers, it’s a different story.
Daly explained that while all refugees face dislocation and possible hostility, Pride Without Border’s members also have to contend with homophobia and transphobia.
He said: “If an asylum seeker is LGBT, they often have extra layers of difficulty and challenges. They are more likely to be isolated and separate from their community. Being part of the LGBTQ+ community and meeting people is really hard for them because they often have zero disposable income, limited English and also may not drink alcohol. Often people’s own families have persecuted them, so the need for the project is immense.”
As asylum seekers, they also have to navigate the “punitive” Home Office environment. People seeking asylum in the UK on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity must provide evidence that they are fleeing their home country not out of choice, but necessity. In 2019, the Guardian reported three out of four LGBTQ+ asylum seekers are refused asylum by the Home Office due to “a culture of disbelief”.
Daly said that proving internal experience is “extremely hard”. “For lots of people, they’ve kept their sexual orientation secret forever, because it’s either illegal and you can serve long prison sentences or you could be blackmailed or even attacked.”
“Our bit is that we get to know people, have lots of conversations about their past experiences, friendships, dating, squaring national or religious identity with being gay, and then we can write a letter which can be used as evidence in their application.”
“This works. We’ve helped 53 people to be recognised as refugees.”
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As the organisation continues to grow, Daly and his band of volunteers hope to continue to offer a safe space to asylum seekers in the face of adversity.
“I’m proud of what we have done,” Daly said. “The group is really energetic and warm, full of kindness and humour and conversation.
“Everyone here is really hungry for a supportive LGBTQ+ community that they can be themselves and be safe in.”
At the moment, Pride Without Borders is running a fundraiser. The team is trying to raise enough money to keep the project going for another year.
Pride Without Borders’ fundraising appeal ended on May 10, but it is still possible to make donations by visiting its crowdfunder. Any further funds raised will mean the project’s capacity can be expanded to meet the rising demand.
To donate, visit: www.justgiving.com/campaign/brrpride
All photos: Pride Without Borders
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- Need for refuge and asylum seeker services triples in Bristol
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