CULTURE OF DISBELIEF: ASYLUM SEEKER IS NOT MY NAME
By Maggie
HISTORY AND OUTLINE
Who are the Lesbian Asylum Support Group (LISG)? We are an independent, volunteer led support group run for Greater Manchester lesbian and bisexual asylum seeking women and refugees. The group was set up in 2007 and currently has about 30 active members, and we have worked with nearly 100 women over the last 11 years. Our aims are: to provide a social network offering emotional support to lesbians currently applying for asylum and those refugees who have been granted leave to stay in the UK; to offer practical support and assistance to members with current asylum applications based on sexuality to ensure that our members are treated equally and with dignity during the asylum process. The group has a monthly meeting, a mixture of social and business and we take part in a range of social events such as the women’s disco in Todmorden fundraising events, creative workshops, information and campaigning events.
For many of our members the group is the only safe space they experience in which they can relax and be open about their sexuality and their experiences, and make friends. Many refugee and asylum seeker communities have brought the homophobia of their home countries with them so our members often do not feel able to be out in most other groups and organisations. Many also attend the LGBT Manchester Metropolitan Church in Manchester
CONTEXT
There are currently nearly 80 countries in the world (40% of all countries) with legislation in place that criminalizes same-sex consensual acts between adults. In 13 of these countries these acts are punishable by death and in 15 others by imprisonment up to life sentences. Half of these countries are still using homophobic laws imposed during British colonial rule.
We have supported women from a wide range of countries including Liberia, Jamaica, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Uganda, Malawi, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Zimbabwe, Iran, The Gambia Ghana ,Cameroon, Nigeria, Jamaica, South Africa and Kenya and more.
Asylum seeking people are not allowed to work. They can receive housing and minimal financial support from the state, however, if they are not currently in the legal system they are likely to be destitute , so are dependent on friends and acquaintances for a floor or a bed, moving every few days. If their legal cases fail they face being returned to further homophobic violence and possibly death in their home countries. This can make women very vulnerable to exploitation by unscrupulous solicitors and also to abuse and exploitation, physical, emotional and sexual by individuals in their communities and in organisations. They can be particularly vulnerable in relationships especially where there is an imbalance of power where the asylum seeking women is financially dependent on a woman with status. However, LISG women are not victims, they are strong and resourceful women caught up in an inhumane and unfair immigration system founded on a ‘culture of disbelief.
CULTURE OF DISBELIEF
Women seeking asylum on the grounds of sexuality have often been subject to extreme violence and homophobia including police brutality, genital mutilation, forced marriage, domestic violence, unsafe abortions and more. They have probably been living in misogynistic, patriarchal, oppressive, and racist societies. Often they have experienced other forms of oppression such as lack of religious and political freedom. They may have been trafficked. Some have come to the UK to study and come out while here and then realised they would not be safe if they returned. You will probably be familiar with the phrase ‘culture of disbelief’, used recently to describe the UK immigration and asylum system in relation to the Windrush scandal. To be given asylum on the grounds of sexuality a woman must both prove her sexuality and that she has been, or is at risk or being, persecuted because of it. How would you prove your sexuality? All this take place in the ‘culture of disbelief’. How do women prove that one was possibly correctionally raped? There IS no proof.
The Home Office, barristers and judges and have said many despicable things in their rulings against LISG members claims for asylum including:
- Most people suffer from STDs but not because of being raped because of their gender/sexuality
- Anyone can attend any LGBT organisations and Pride, this is not proof of sexuality. (LISG asks why would a person from one of these homophobic countries attend Pride if they were NOT LGBT?)
- ‘How come you are not in any LGBT organisations?’
- ‘You only joined LGBT organisations after your first refusal, you are clearly only doing it to pretend to be gay’. So you are damned if you do and damned if you don’t attend things.
- ‘How come you are not in a relationship? That shows you are not gay.’
- ‘ You don’t look gay’ or are not perceived to fit a stereotype of how lesbian or bisexual woman presents themselves
- ‘You are not muscular enough ‘
- ‘You only had one relationship with a same sex person, that can be an adolescent confusion stage, not to say you are gay.’
- ‘Why would you tell people you are in a relationship if that is dangerous? You must be lying.’
- ‘You can’t be gay because you have more than one child.’
- The nuns at your boarding school would have known if you were in a sexual relationship with a girl and would have put a stop to it. You are clearly lying’
- Also experienced are: age discrimination i.e. you are old and therefore can’t be a lesbian. And there is no right to live your life in private as it is important to be public about any relationships, however short or new, for ‘evidence’. You are FORCED to go public!
- How do you prove you are in love/ in a relationship?
- Black women don’t blush!
This culture of disbelief has a huge impact on the women in the asylum system. They are required to live a certain way to gather ‘evidence’ for their claims. They have to learn to be ‘out’ in a western way ( which those lesbians and bi-sexual women lucky enough to be born in the UK do not have to do), often having lived in secrecy all their lives. They have to repeatedly tell all the details of often traumatic events that led to their claiming asylum. And then ‘the system’ turns round and tells them they are not believed. Many women talk of challenges to their mental health, of feeling they are going mad, of being depressed and even suicidal. Their lives are in limbo while they fight , and wait sometimes for years, to find out if they will be forced to return to danger, or be allowed to live in the UK in relative safety.
HOW YOU CAN HELP LISG
Travel expenses for refugee and asylum seeking lesbians to attend the monthly support group meetings, solicitors, Dallas Court, Home Office interviews etc. / Crisis payments for destitute lesbian asylum seekers / Child care costs / Travel costs to attend workshops/conferences to spread the awareness of LGBT asylum issues/ Social outings to LGBT theatre and other LGBT cultural events. We have made successful applications to a range of trusts and other organisations. We have organised some fundraising activities and we are constantly looking for new possibilities for funding including applications to trusts.
Financial help is always useful and you can fill in standing order form or make a donation. Even a monthly standing for an amount equivalent to a cup of coffee or a beer helps create financial stability for us. You can find information about LISG to support you to raise awareness of the challenges we face.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY you can also volunteer with us! Volunteers work in LISG in many ways. IT/social media skills would very useful but there are many different areas for volunteers to get involved in. Pick up a flier for more information, or come and talk to us! Our contact details are on our fliers, and you can check out our website and Facebook page.
You are welcome to join us at one of our LISG Fundraisers.
The next one is in Todmorden on Saturday April 25th.
