Men from Afghanistan's secret gay community say they are living through a 'nightmare' ... [View all]
Last edited Mon Aug 23, 2021, 11:52 AM - Edit history (1)
Hat tip, AyJayDee at Joe.My.God.
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Men from Afghanistan's secret gay community say they are living through a 'nightmare' and fear that the Taliban will execute them at any moment
Joshua Zitser and Alia Shoaib Aug 21, 2021, 4:49 AM
{snip}
Pressure is building on countries to accept vulnerable asylum seekers fleeing persecution at the hands of the Taliban.
Rainbow Railroad, a Canadian charity that helps LGBTQ people escape oppression in their home countries, released a statement urging governments to take in vulnerable Afghan refugees.
"Now is the time for governments to step up and support LGBTQI+ Afghan refugees," the charity said.
Canada has plans to resettle more than 20,000 Afghans, prioritizing minorities, including female activists and individuals from LGBTQ communities.
The US is predicted to take in fewer than 10,000 refugees this year, the lowest number since 1975, and has accepted fewer than 500 refugees from Afghanistan in 2021,
Insider previously reported.
Over a
dozen governors have urged President Biden to take in more Afghan refugees, and critics have said the application process is
bureaucratic and badly backlogged.
The message to the politicians, bureaucrats, and officials in the West from the gay people of Afghanistan is clear. "I hope I get out of here alive," said Ghulam{*}.
(* The names of the gay people that Insider spoke to in Afghanistan have been changed to protect their identities)