Topic: LGBTQ Refugees

LGBTQ refugees, asylum seekers, and other forcibly displaced people face discrimination worldwide, including barriers to employment, education, safe housing, legal status, and health care. HIAS helps LGBTQ refugees access their rights and rebuild their lives in dignity.

35 results

Dec 28, 2023

Dispatch from Israel: Rebuilding Through Partnerships

Brightly colored crates of food and people moving in a warehouse A personal account from a HIAS staffer stationed in Israel after the terrorist attacks, where the emergency response team developed ways to work with local organizations to help some of the estimated 250,000 displaced Israelis. 

Nov 15, 2023

In Mexico, an All-Woman Team Supports Survivors of Violence

In Mexico, an All-Woman Team Supports Survivors of Violence The all-female team has played a critical role in HIAS Mexico's work in serving victims of violence in Tapachula, along Mexico's border with Guatemala.

Jun 27, 2023

“Now I am Free”: A Gay Ugandan Builds Community in the U.S.

Robert, 36, a gay former refugee from Uganda, stands in his front yard near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during a lull in the rain on June 12, 2023. Robert was resettled by HIAS resettlement partner HIAS Pennsylvania in 2016. | In 2014, Robert fled anti-LGBTQ persecution in Uganda, eventually settling in Philadelphia with the assistance of HIAS affiliate HIAS Pennsylvania. Today, as new anti-LGBTQ legislation looms large in Uganda, he has built a new life for himself — and community for LGBTQ refugees in Philadelphia.

May 9, 2023

Historic Archive Reinforces Urgency of Serving Today’s Refugees

Flowers at the commemoration event for the 80th anniversary of the uprising of the Warsaw Ghetto during WWII. Robert Aronson, a member and immediate past chair of the HIAS board, reflects on a recent board visit to Poland and Moldova.

Apr 18, 2023

WATCH: Healing and Hope — Ending Gender-Based Violence

A HIAS staff member speaks with a woman and girl about HIAS' programs to address violence against women and girls. End Violence Against Women and Girls | HIAS HIAS is working to end gender-based violence (GBV) among forcibly displaced people by supporting survivors, reducing risks, and transforming societal norms.

Jul 6, 2022

In Poland, Airbnbs Offer Refuge for War-weary Ukrainians

In Poland, Airbnbs Offer Refuge for War-weary Ukrainians Housing was an afterthought when Oksana Bezkorovaina arrived in Poland from bordering Ukraine with her daughter Masha and sister, Maryna. The trio had been through the wringer trying to make it out of their home in Kharkiv, where they would sleep in the basement with their shoes on — ready to flee at any moment.

Jun 30, 2022

Economic Inclusion Programs Help LGBTQ Activist Build a Business – and a New Life

Magdiel Galeano Gómez (right) and his husband Jeffrey (left) attend Costa Rica’s pride march on June 26, 2022 in San Jose. As a political and LGBTQ activist, Magdiel Galeano Gómez had to flee Nicaragua after multiple attempts on his life. With HIAS Costa Rica by his side, he and his husband were able to build new lives – and a thriving ecologically-friendly business.

Dec 22, 2021

2021: A Year In Review

2021: A Year In Review 2021 may not have been much better than 2020, but HIAS remained committed to providing vital services worldwide, reaching more than 1.1 million displaced people.

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