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.