GAY Enough To Be A Refugee

This blog post is in response to Senthorum Raj's article "Are You Gay Enough To Be A Refugee?" for my Gender & Sexuality course at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia with lecturer Margaret Mayhew.

Source: https://newmatilda.com/2011/06/09/are-you-gay-enough-be-refugee

In this reading Raji discussed how Australia provides asylum to gay refugees who are persecuted for being gay or homosexual in their native countries. The issue is, asylum seekers must publicly or visibly demonstrate their homosexuality with their partners in order for their relationship to be legitimate and genuine. This doesn't seem like an issue because if a person is gay, it can easily be proven through public displays of affection with their partner to prove the basis for a non-platonic relationship. However, in the countries where homosexuality is illegal, there are deadly repercussions for people who disregard the law. As a result gay and lesbian relationships are left "under wraps" and certainly not portrayed within the public's eye. Ultimately, without these public and perhaps fearful displays of affection by homosexual couples, they are considered illegitimate and may not seek refugee in Australia.

This brings up the question, does a person seem genuinely gay or even "gay enough" by their actions to receive asylum in Australia as a refugee if they keep their homosexuality a secret?

In my personal opinion, refugees should not have to prove their homosexuality by demonstrating typical westernized homosexual stereotypes, such as wearing ear rings, tight pants, and publicly displaying sexual behavior with their partners, in order to be considered for asylum in Australia. Not only do these actions generalize all gay people as being weirdly exotic, it also subjects refugees to more trauma by having to recover from deadly persecution in their home country, and possibly going out of their way to prove their sexual identity. It doesn't seem humane to impose these implications on suffering refugees.

A short and quick example of an individual who faced persecution for homosexuality is displayed in a 4 minute youtube video about a young man named Naheed from Iraq. Click the link below to watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ3mqhpRjhE