Rainbow Bridges

RAINBOW BRIDGES:A Community Guide to Rebuilding the Lives of LGBTI Refugees & AsyleesCross-cultural sensitivity is essential tothis work, as differences in perceptionand background are always present.Guardian Groups are thus encouraged toattend cross-cultural sensitivity trainings,access technical assistance, and use theirinteractions with refugees as opportunitiesto examine their own culture and community.Across the United States, queer communitiesare already organized in groups well suitedfor supporting refugees. Many cities haveLGBTI civil rights groups, choruses, ethnicbasedfellowship associations, philanthropicorganizations, student groups, senior citizensclubs, and faith-based groups that can greatlyenhance the resettled refugee’s ability tointegrate in the United States.As U.S. society has increasingly acceptedand embraced LGBTI people, there are alsomore possibilities for support outside of thequeer community. Groups that prize inclusivityand global human rights, regardless of sexualorientation and gender identity, already havenetworks that can benefit queer refugees.Groups focusing on the arts, the homeless,housing, and human rights are ideal places tostart looking for partnerships to form a GuardianGroup.Ethical ConsiderationsPeople form and join Guardian Groups becausethey want to make the world a better place forLGBTI refugees. Their motivations are humaneand positive. But even those with the bestintentions can err. This ever-present possibilitybecomes more of a concern when the wellbeingof a vulnerable refugee is at stake. LGBTIrefugees, asylees, and asylum seekers areoften particularly needy during their first severalmonths in the United States. Most struggle withculture shock, difficulties learning English, andhealing the psychological and physical woundscaused by their traumatic experiences. As therefugee’s primary advocates, Guardian Groupsmust work carefully to retain the trust that therefugee places in them. On the following pageORAM offers a code of ethics for referenceby Guardian Group members and housingproviders (see Figure 8).Many of us in the LGBT community arerefugees in one way or another. Manyof us have left disapproving families orupbringings that were not ideal and have“escaped” to areas where being LGBTis more accepted and normal. Thoughextreme in what these refugees have hadto go through compared to most of ourexperiences, I think it forms an instantbond and understanding.–San Francisco Sisters of PerpetualIndulgence Guardian Group Memberon the Importance of LGBTI CommunityInvolvement in the Resettlementof LGBTI RefugeesLGBTI Community GroupsTens of thousands of groups across the countryfocus on the LGBTI community. Approximately580 American nonprofit organizations have theword “gay” in their names. 25 This number doesnot include: gay-straight alliances in schools;chapters of national organizations like the HumanRights Campaign (HRC); Parents, Family, andFriends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG); LGBTIemployee associations; or unincorporatedmarriage equality advocacy groups. Evenmore groups do not include the word “gay” intheir titles, but are nevertheless helpful andaccepting. These include municipal human rightscommissions, community health clinics, grantmakingfoundations, professional associations,and many others. Many, or perhaps most, of thetens of thousands of groups that work with LGBTIcommunities and individuals are motivated bythe quest for equality and belonging.13