LGBTQ REFUGEES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS STUDY

I am Taban Deamon Eduardo a.k.a Lucifer, a South Sudanese gay living as a refugee in Kenya and picked up interest in this study when I watched in December 2011, Hilary Rodham Clinton declaring to the world that gay rights and human rights are “one and the same. “Evidenced by this much-publicized speech, lending American support to the promotion of LGBTQ rights worldwide, it seems that the broader world powers have finally turned their attention to the plight faced by LGBTQ people globally. The situation faced by people of varying sexual orientations and gender identities is particularly dire throughout the continent of Africa. Currently, homosexuality is criminalized in 38 of 54 African countries4, including Uganda, DRC, Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan and Ethiopia, and most notably may be punishable by death penalty, as suggested the Anti gay bill in Uganda. Pundits speculate that the legacy of homophobia in Africa has diverse and complex roots ranging from the influences of Christian missionaries in the colonial period to strong anti-Western sentiments and rapid urbanization to changing family structures. There is a widespread notion among homophobic forces in Africa that being gay is not natural to the African population and is a result of Western corruption and immorality, sullying traditional African values and familial structures. others suggest that “The rapid growth of Islam and evangelical forms of Christianity, both espousing conservative views on family values and marriage, has also convinced many Africans that homosexuality should not be tolerated in their societies. “Within this hostile environment, many African LGBTQ persons face threats of physical persecution or violence, alongside feelings of isolation or lack of representation within their own culture. In recent years, homophobic sentiments, acts, and laws have noticeably increased. In late 2011, salon.com reported that “Within the last decade, rancorous anti-gay rhetoric has infiltrated public discourse in many African countries. Just in 2011,, the Ugandan parliament revived a proposal to legalize capital punishment for people who engage in homosexual acts.” The article goes on to emphasize the degree to which life for LGBTQ Africans in most countries on the continent has become untenable. The New York Times reports that “Gay Ugandans already describe a world of beatings, blackmail, death threats like ‘Die Sodomite!’ scrawled on their homes, constant harassment and even so-called correctional rape. “Thus in a situation in which choices are constrained, money is tight, and daily life becomes increasingly difficult for LGBTQ persons on the continent, many begin to pursue other options, namely moving locations. And the natural choice for many, without the means to fly to Europe or North America where their life prospects look less bleak, is a turn toward the easternmost country on the continent, Kenya. Unlike the other countries in Africa, Kenya presents itself as a beacon of hope for persecuted LGBTQ persons in Africa but “Kenya is no exception to the rule of African realized homophobia, at least nominally.” The well-known organization Human Rights Watch, highlights this paradox: “Kenya, at the forefront of the fight for legal equality on LGBT issues internationally, is desperately failing lesbian and transgender people in their everyday lives at home….Legal rights are important and can be empowering, but they are meaningless in the face of the abuse, intimidation, and violence that people with unconventional gender and sexual expression face on a daily basis. “This survey represents an initial attempt to document the experiences of LGBTQ refugees and asylum seekers in Kenya, who will respond to the realities described above and have moved to Kenya seeking asylum on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.