Freedom House is the only organization in the country to provide free services to asylum seekers, and 90% of residents leave self-sufficient. They began the LGBTQ+ Bridges Program “without really knowing it,” said CEO Deb Drennan.

“We recognized that we weren’t doing anything to help residents connect with the LGBTQ+ community here while they were getting ready for asylum,” she said. “We thought if we can connect them with another organization to do more outreach, to talk about LGBTQ+ rights, that would enhance their ability when they move out.”

An asylum seeker’s sexuality can be a matter of life or death back home, and some asylum seekers, both heterosexual and homosexual, arrive having internalized their home society’s beliefs that gay people are evil or wrong. Part of the LGBTQ+ Bridges Program is about deprogramming this conditioning and showing LGBTQ+ asylum seekers that they can be out, safe, and supported — and that they were never evil, wrong, or broken.

To do this, Freedom House does everything from take groups to local Pride flag raisings to work with Corktown Health Center to promote health and wellness. They also offer specialized counseling services. Deb also sees community members like Linda as a crucial part of this evolution, a model for how LGBTQ+ asylum seekers can imagine themselves in the world.

Read the full article about LGBTQ asylum seekers from the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan at Medium.