Paper short abstract:

Protected by an international human rights mechanism premised on self-exposure for access, LGBT refugees in Kenya must also practice discretion to avoid local criminalisation. In this paper, I consider what happens when homophobia and homonationalism come to define parallel legal regimes.

Paper long abstract:

The current literature in queer migration tends to critically frame movement, from the ‘barbaric’ Global South to the ‘enlightened’ Global North, in terms of homonationalism. Perhaps best described by David Murray (2020) as the ‘queer migration to liberation nation narrative’, this process is premised on the supposed active repudiation by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) refugees of their countries of origin’s (post)colonial national cultures as the source of their persecution while embracing the enlightened sexual/gender norms of their liberators through being ‘out and proud’ (and grateful). In 1991, the war in Somalia brought the Kenyan refugee system to the brink of total collapse. In order to manage the crisis, the Kenyan state contracted the UNHCR to adjudicate asylum claims on the grounds set out in the 1951 Refugee Convention. In the wake of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act 2014, this has included extending refugee protection to LGBT claimants on the basis of persecution as members of ‘a particular social group’. However, local Kenyan law continues to criminalise LGBT people. Over 1000 LGBT refugees in Kenya thus find themselves in the peculiar position of being protected by an international human rights mechanism premised on self-exposure for access, while also having to practice discretion to avoid local criminal prosecution. Drawing on research with transgender refugees in Kenya, I consider what happens to the ‘liberation nation narrative’ when homophobia and homonationalism come to define parallel legal regimes

Paper short abstract:

The migration of sexual and gender minorities within Africa, while promising, is not yet an attractive destination. Vulnerabilities and a longing for gainful survival opportunities and freedom pegged on refugee status running parallel make the global North the most preferred destination.

Paper long abstract:

The migration of sexual and gender minorities is becoming a common feature in Africa. Factors such as; the criminalization of same-sex, stigma, and discrimination including persecution and conversion therapy, drive sexual and gender minority-induced migration within or outside their countries of origin. I reflect on an ethnography I conducted among sexual and gender minority urban refugees and asylum seekers from 2015 to 2022 in Kenya and Rwanda, I argue that the intersectionality between sexual and gender minorities and refugee or asylum seekers or undocumented migrants’ identities embodies experiences of vulnerabilities and opportunities. Specifically, through case studies, I examine a web of mobility of sexual and gender minority refugees and asylum seekers in Kenya; a country that criminalizes same-sex acts, South Africa; a county where same sex is legal, and Rwanda; a country regarded as progressive through her support for inclusive international human rights laws. In all countries, sexual and gender minority refugee experience, on one hand, social suffering at the hands of the host community, and, on the other hand, navigate survival strategies. I conclude that while the experience analyzed here promises some opportunities that can motivate refugees and asylum seekers to stay in host countries or communities, dissatisfaction, and a longing for more survival opportunities pegged on refugee status as the main currency running parallel makes the global North the most preferred destination.

Paper short abstract:

In this paper, I show how discourses linked to legitimacy and truth shape LGBTQ refugees' ability to form networks of care. I investigate how certain identities, behaviours, domestic arrangements and ethnic/linguistic affiliations are used to regulate access to social and physical space.

Paper long abstract:

The spectre of 'fake gays' has long been evoked by states to justify invasive and dehumanising treatment of LGBTQ asylum seekers. The goal of bogus claimants, proponents of this narrative argue, is to deceive status adjudicators and exploit Western governments' endorsement of sexual and gender rights. The only protection against this practice is said to be constant vigilance. Depending on one's position in the asylum process, such measures are likely to be seen either as stringent vetting processes or as being guilty, or at best suspicious, until proven otherwise. The social, legislative and political impacts of disbelief have now been well documented, with scholars arguing that heteronormative border regimes not only reinforce stereotypical assumptions about LGBTQ people but also establish a false dichotomy between 'genuine' and 'fraudulent' claimants. What is less studied is how this culture of mistrust permeates LGBTQ refugee communities themselves. In this paper, I show how discourses linked to legitimacy and truth shape LGBTQ refugees' ability to form networks of care and develop a sense of belonging. Drawing on fieldwork undertaken in Nairobi, I argue that decisions over who is worthy of community support produce an additional layer of exclusion for those who already susceptible to violence, abuse and exploitation. In particular, I explore how certain identities, behaviours, domestic arrangements and ethnic/linguistic affiliations are used to determine a person's right to claim protection. Interrogating these micro-level negotiations can provide new insights into how LGBTQ refugees regulate access to social and physical space.

Paper short abstract:

This paper focuses on the religious experience of LGBT+ displaced people in Nairobi. In their transient and precarious situation, for many faith becomes a terrain of individualised re-discovery and re-appropriation after religion was in part a cause of their displacement.

Paper long abstract:

Religion is frequently depicted in Migration Studies, International Development & Humanitarianism Studies as a source of connection, network (re-)creation and support for migrants and displaced people in their new contexts or during the process of moving. However, those spaces of academic enquiry overlooked the specificities and complexities of displaced communities, for example LGBTQ+ individuals seeking asylum due to sexual persecution and discrimination, often perpetrated in their country of origins in the name of religious values and religious interpretations.

This presentation will focus on LGBTQ+ displaced people in Nairobi, mainly from neighbouring Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Based on qualitative research with participants awaiting for resettlement (often for several years), this presentation will capture the enduring nature of faith and discuss the repositioning of LGBT+ refugees' religious experience and practices. In their words, religion became a personal experience separated from the shared space of religious communities and religious leaders. Participants described faith as very important, with religion providing solace and support through individual reading of sacred texts and through online attendance of religious rituals, for example via Youtube masses, where the community/connectivity elements were short circuited. While for many there was no desire to be part of religious communities, spaces that previously determined suffering, there was however a clear intent to re-engage and re-appropriate their own spirituality in the temporality of their transient situation. Understanding the way embodied religion operates within LGBTQ+ displaced individuals in East Africa would allow to develop relevant new strategies and novel constructive interventions.

Paper short abstract:

This paper analyses the intersection between sexual orientation and displacement in Uganda, focusing on LGBTQIA+ community members who are IDPs. We argue that the 'internal othering' of LGBTQIA+ individuals in Uganda has ultimately made them more susceptible, and yet 'too poor', to becoming IDP.

Paper long abstract:

This paper analyses the impact of the intersection between sexual orientation and displacement in Uganda, focusing on LGBTQIA+ community members who are Internally Displaced Persons (IDP). Using McCall's three dimensions of the intersectional approach (anticategory, intercategory and intracategory), we argue that the 'internal othering' of LGBTQIA+ individuals in Uganda has ultimately made these individuals more susceptible, and yet 'too poor', to becoming IDP. To examine the lack of protection that homophobia in Uganda renders to LGBTQIA+ individuals, especially IDPs, we analyse the impact of the pandemic outbreak and its restrictions orders and how these were used to target shelters that serve LGBTQIA+ community members in Uganda, while examining historical developments which have contributed to the 'internal othering' of LGBTQIA+ individuals' human rights and ability to seek refuge from persecution.