Seeing Jesus as an LGBT Asylum Seeker

(Photo Credit Jessica Rinaldi - Reuters)

-Max Niedzwiecki


As I write this, I look forward to my parish’s Epiphany service, which marks the recognition of Jesus as the Son of God. Since this is New Orleans, it also marks the start of Carnival Season and the first time since last Mardi Gras that anyone is supposed to eat King Cake.

But this year, I add the excitement of joining with partners to launch the LGBT Faith Action Network (LGBT-FAN) which will support faith-based efforts to help LGBT asylum seekers throughout the United States.

Our kick off begins with a Congressional Briefing on January 8, a community event on January 9, and an LGBT-FAN planning retreat January 8-10—all in Washington, DC.

The constellation of cosponsors has me feeling like Mardi Gras. The list is growing and currently includes Center Global of the DC Center for the LGBT Community, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, Integrity USA, the LGBT Asylum Support Task Force, Metropolitan Community Churches, Reconciling Works, PCI Justice, St. Paul’s Foundation for International Reconciliation, the United Church of Christ Coalition for LGBT Concerns, and the Unitarian Universalist Association.

The last time I wrote a blog post about LGBT-FAN, I asked readers to reflect on Matthew 25: 34-40 in which Jesus says "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me," and consider reaching out to people who flee to the United States because of extreme homophobia and transphobia in their home countries. As people fleeing terror, they share much in common with heavily pregnant Mary and Joseph, who the Bible tells us fled to Egypt seeking safety.

I’m saying much the same thing today: Consider that your faith might be calling you to reach out in some way – large or small – to people fleeing violence and persecution. Epiphany is a call for Christians to recognize Jesus – not just in a baby born into an impoverished refugee family over two thousand years ago, but also in men and women who have faced torture and murder, sought refuge in the U.S., and are not allowed to work or use most social services until they have been granted asylum or their applications have been pending for at least six months. Many of them are living on the street and taking extreme measures just to survive. Why? Because they are lesbian, gay, bi, or trans, and they were born in places where that can be a death sentence.

Taking even a small action could make a huge difference in someone’s life. Here’s what you can do right now:

• Learn more by going to www.lgbt-fan.org .
• Sign our petition, which calls on government leaders to acknowledge the basic human rights of LGBT and other asylum seekers: www.lgbt-fan.org/petition
• Donate any amount to the newly launched LGBT-FAN Fund, which is dedicated to supporting LGBT asylum-seekers’ basic living expenses such as rent and food: www.lgbt-fan.org/donate
• Write us a comment and we’ll get back to you about more ways to get involved: www.lgbt-fan.org/contact

Max Niedzwiecki, Ph.D. is the Coordinator of the LGBT Faith & Asylum Network, and the former Executive Director of Integrity USA.

* http://walkingwithintegrity.blogspot.com/2013/09/wwjd-for-queers-fleeing-terror-and-why.html

WWJD for Queers Fleeing Terror, and Why Should Integrity Care?

Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”

-Matthew 25: 34-40

One day my friend and I were stopped by the police in a remote area.  I was tortured and raped by the policeman [because I was gay].  I can still hear the other policemen who were watching laughing and jeering. The pain was like none other I had ever experienced.   I went to the hospital.  I didn’t report to work for days.  When I did go back to work, I quit my job. I was too terrified to step out of my house.  I tried to report this attack, but the police officer who took the report laughed in my face.   The very next day, the policeman who had tortured me came to my house and shouted, “Open up!  We already know who you are and we are going to kill you.”  So I left my beautiful country.  I left my job, my home, my belongings, my studies.  Two friends helped me get out.  I came to California and stayed with some relatives, but soon, after realizing that I was gay, they kicked me out and I was homeless.

-“Juan,” a gay man from El Salvador

More of Juan’s story is available here

It is illegal to be openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender in approximately 80 countries throughout the world, including five that impose the death penalty.  Unchecked violence against LGBT people is rampant in many additional countries as well: violence like murder, torture, mutilation, and gang rape.

At least 4,000 people flee to the United States fleeing that terror every year, but until they are granted asylum by the U.S. Government many of them face months of friendlessness, fear, and desperation.  They are not allowed to hold jobs, or use most medical or social service programs. Often they find themselves without any money, living on the street or in detention facilities, doing whatever they need to do in order to survive from one day to the next, unable to communicate well in English, confronted with more anti-LGBT bias, facing culture shock, excluded by their ethnic communities, and struggling for their health after so many traumatic experiences. They are tremendously resilient people, but these challenges can be crushing.

But – yes – there is hope!

“Juan,” whose story appears above, is being helped by Hadwen Park Congregational Church and the LGBT Asylum Support Task Force in Worcester, Massachusetts.  A growing number of churches and LGBT community centers are taking asylum-seekers like him under their wing: Providing them with a sense of community, food, shelter, and a helping hand until their asylum applications are approved by the government and they are able to find work.

The Task Force is part of a national network called the LGBT Faith and Asylum Network (LGBT-FAN) that aims to encourage and help more churches and community centers reach out to people who have fled to America seeking safety.  We have established a website with stories and information about how groups are providing help, who “asylum-seekers” are, and how people can get involved.  Within the next year we plan to set up a charitable fund that will provide grants to churches and other groups that are supporting asylum-seekers’ living expenses. Integrity USA is part of this effort, as are the Episcopal Public Policy Network and leaders from dozens of other faith-based, policy, and human rights organizations.

While I served as Executive Director of Integrity USA, and now as a member of the New Orleans chapter, I have often heard the question raised: Now that we can have our relationships blessed by priests, there are a lot of friendly Episcopal churches, and openly LGBT people can even serve as bishops, what is Integrity for?  Is it time to declare victory and move on?

One answer to that question is that Integrity must continue to exist in order to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and visit those in prison.  One of Integrity’s special missions might be to follow these Christian commandments, with a special focus on people who have landed on our doorsteps after fleeing for their lives because of anti-LGBT bigotry and terror.

If you feel moved to consider that possibility, please visit LGBT-FAN’s website and send us a note through the contact page.  You can check out www.lgbt-fan.org and www.lgbtasylum.org for more information.

-Max Niedzwiecki, Ph.D.

Coordinator, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Faith & Asylum Network (LGBT-FAN)

Principal, Daylight Consulting Group

Former Executive Director, Integrity USA

(Photo Credit Jessica Rinaldi - Reuters)

CALL for ACTION: Equal Immigration Rights

by The Rev. Dr. Caroline Hall

When I immigrated, a little over twenty years ago, I was well-educated, white and had a British accent. Even with those advantages it was hard for me to get a green card. I lined up early one morning at the Arlington INS office in order to be one of the few people who would even get an interview. There was a couple ahead of me – they were there so that a non-American wife could get to live here with her husband. I was there alone. Even if we had been legally married, the INS would not have accepted our lesbian marriage as valid for immigration purposes.

We all know there’s an immigration bill in the Senate Judiciary Committee right now. We also know that it’s not fully comprehensive – it leaves out a very specific segment of the population – gay or lesbian families. Family reunification has always been an important plank of this country’s immigration policy, but once again we are being told that our families are less important, our families are not “real” – we don’t count.

It is estimated that there are 32,300 bi-national, same-sex couples residing in the United States today, more than 45% of whom are raising children. We believe that these families share the same right to dignity and fair treatment as other families, and therefore deserve to have their status as a family recognized and protected by our nation’s immigration laws. That is why Integrity worked hard at last year’s General Convention to help pass D011 “Reform Unequal Immigration Law” through which the Church pledged to support legislation that would expand our nation’s definition of family under immigration law to include the same-sex permanent partners and spouses of U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
 
This resolution also committed our dioceses and congregations to renewed advocacy on behalf of families and individuals of all sexual orientations who are facing unwanted moves, deportation or separation due to our nation’s immigration laws. We know from experience that getting a resolution passed by General Convention is only the first step – in order for it to have teeth, we have to do the hard work in our dioceses and congregations to make it valid on the ground.

The Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations is working on our behalf to support two amendments proposed by Senator Leahy. The first would allow Americans in same-sex relationships to sponsor green cards for their foreign-born partners. The second would provide the same protection to legally married bi-national same-sex couples that is afforded to others under existing immigration law. We can do our bit by asking our Senators (or members of the Senate Judiciary Committee) to “support the inclusion of same-sex partners and spouses in comprehensive immigration reform by supporting Leahy amendments 6 and 7.”

Please make the call or send an email today.

You can get more information about the Immigration Bill at

• The Immigration Equality Action Fund
• Human Rights Campaign

Caroline Hall is President of Integrity USA and serves as priest-in-charge at St. Benedict's Episcopal Church in Los Osos, CA.