| Dear Jean-Francois It’s June, which means it’s Pride Month! As well as a time to celebrate our community and LGBTQI people, it is a time to reflect on the situation faced by LGBTQI people around the world, and in the UK.
There is still so much to be done. It remains illegal to be LGBTQI in more than 60 countries around the world. In the UK, we are witnessing an increase in hate crimes and unprecedented levels of transphobia.
Every year, about 1,000 LGBTQI people try to find safety in the UK, but when they come, they are still not safe. Often, they are placed in accommodation in which their LGBTQI status can leave them vulnerable to discrimination. Many suffer abuse from other asylum seekers who may even come from the same countries they are escaping from.
It was these stories of abuse that drove Micro Rainbow to create the very first safe housing programme for LGBTQI asylum seekers. We can now offer over 31,000 safe bed-nights every year, but we need your help to continue this important work. Safe housing is a crucial first step for LGBTQI asylum seekers to fully embrace their identity safely, but it it is not enough. People also need connections and a community they can rely on, which is why we deliver a social inclusion programme.
As part of this programme, Micro Rainbow is marching in London Pride again this year, with our biggest group ever! For most of the people in our community, this will be the very first time that they have attended a Pride march. It may be the first time they have openly and publicly embraced their LGBTQI identity. It will be the first time they will be cheered and celebrated by a crowd. They will be safe amongst their community to be out and proud.
We march at pride to celebrate our wins and to protest against the discrimination and persecution we still face in the UK and around the world. We want to express solidarity with LGBTQI people who live in countries where Pride cannot safely take place.
In April, we spoke to Queen, a lesbian from Nigeria, for Lesbian Visibility Week. She spoke about how, during Pride Month, she would live vicariously through the celebrations and other people. Even though LGBTQI people couldn’t have a Pride march in Nigeria, she could still participate in her own way.
This Pride month you can make a real difference to LGBTQI refugees and asylum seekers. Become and ally or send a donation. With your support, we will make sure that we can advocate for LGBTQI people fleeing persecution all year round.
The Micro Rainbow Team
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