“We know that LGBT asylum seekers and refugees can feel isolated.”
LGBT charity London Friend, along with Say It Loud Club, are launching a new programme of support for LGBT refugees based in and around London.
Established in 1972, London Friend is the UK’s oldest LGBT charity, offering ‘counselling and support around issues such as same-sex relationships, sexual and gender identity and promoting personal growth and self-confidence’.
The new refugee initiative comes at a time when the world is facing one of the worst displacement crises ever. Over 65 million people around the globe have had to flee their homes – which is like the entire British population having to leave to the country.
London Friend’s Chief Executive, Monty Moncrieff, said:
“We know that LGBT asylum seekers and refugees can feel isolated, and that many feel uncomfortable disclosing their identity in mainstream services, having come from countries where it can be unsafe to do so.
“By supporting them to gain confidence and make connections with other LGBT people with similar experiences, this will help them to feel more able to engage in their wider communities.”
In 2015, a joint report by Stonewall and the UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group (UKLGIG) revealed the everyday discrimination and violence that LGBT asylum seekers can experience in UK detention centres.