LGBTQ-refugees in Kenya are facing a tough dilemma
Ugandan LGBTQ refugees in Kenya’s Kakuma camp face a difficult choice between staying there with little hope for resettlement or moving to South Sudan’s Gorom camp, which offers better prospects for relocation to LGBTQ-friendly countries.
The refugees fled severe and violent persecution in Uganda but continue to face discrimination and violence in the camps.
While the UN aims to help, they are constrained by the need to maintain good relations with local governments.
The government of Kenya is not accepting persecution for being LGBTQ a valid reason for refugee status. The local LGBTQ movement has won some victories, but also many tragic losses.
Some refugees have moved from Kakuma to Gorom, where the US and Canadian governments have granted resettlement status to several Ugandan refugees. However, the actual relocation process is complex and uncertain.
Nakafeero, an LGBTQ refugee leader, is considering moving her group from Kakuma to Gorom. She is currently visiting Gorom to assess conditions and gather information.
She says that the camp provides basic housing and services, but resources are limited and costs are higher than in Kenya.
The situation remains fluid, with refugees spread between both camps.
Unfortunately a large number of African countries persecute LGBTQ people. The argument is that being gay or trans is against local tradition and that queer identities are part of Western colonialism. The opposite is true. It was for the most part Western colonial powers that introduced the kind of bigotry we see today, and it is Western right wing religious fundamentalists that feed the flames of hate now.
More here: Where to find hope of escape: In Kenya or South Sudan?
See also:
- A lesbian refugee from Uganda is doing her best to assist LGBT people living in a refugee camp in Kenya. You can help her.
- Report from a young Ugandan lesbian refugee in Kenya.
- LGBTQ Kakuma refugees decide to move to South Sudan camp in hope of repatriation
- Petition demands Kenyan government stop discriminating against queer asylum seekers
- Gay and targeted in Uganda: Inside the extreme crackdown on LGBTQ rights
- Uganda’s 2023 anti-homosexuality act is already costing the country.
- Donations to LGBTQ-refugees in Kakuma in Kenya.
- Donations to LGBTQ-refugees in Gorom in South Sudan
Originally published at https://trans-express.lgbt on November 4, 2024.
