Dayanna and Joss were both forced to flee their homes in El Salvador when their safety was threatened. They both identify as transgender women and could no longer live safely in their communities while staying true to who they are. Dayanna (left) fled due to increasing transphobia in El Salvador and after she began receiving threats from a local gang. Similarly, Joss was forced to flee when she began receiving death threats.
In hopes of finding safety, Dayanna and Joss both fled to Mexico where they applied for asylum in the United States. Although they have both found a welcoming community in Mexico, they hope they can begin rebuilding their lives in the U.S.
“In El Salvador, there are no legal protections for trans women,” says Joss. “I’m applying for asylum to the U.S. because I will be able to live safely and find community.”
Maritza
In 2008, Maritza (left) began receiving death threats after the rape and murder of her gay friend. Fearing that she would be next, she fled Honduras and eventually resettled in Spain. After settling, she met her partner Jenny.
After facing threats of violence and persecution, Jenny and Maritza say they found strength in one another. Today, they own a tattoo studio together in Barcelona.
Crystel
When Crystel was a teenager, she was forced out of her family’s home due to her identity as a transgender woman. Living alone as a young, transgender woman in El Salvador was dangerous — leaving her vulnerable to assault, extortion and gang violence. To reach safety, Crystel joined a traveling circus that eventually brought her to Costa Rica, where she was able to seek asylum.
Now, she is a community organizer in the capital, San José, where she supports other transgender refugees and asylum seekers who have fled El Salvador and Honduras.
How you can help…
LGBTIQ+ refugees and asylum seekers are forced to flee their homes every day, but you can offer them hope on their journeys to safety. By becoming a monthly donor, you can help UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, provide protection services, psychosocial support and livelihood opportunities to displaced LGBTIQ+ people as they settle into communities where they can safely be themselves.
Source link : https://www.unrefugees.org/news/meet-five-lgbtiqplus-individuals-from-central-america-who-have-found-safety-acceptance-and-community-in-their-new-homes/
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Publish date : 2022-05-17 03:00:00
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