LGBTQ immigrants, refugees & asylees are escaping persecution abroad and need help now more than ever

As an aspiring LGBTQIA affirmative therapist in Portland (currently I practice as professional counselor associate), I observe daily how LGBTQ folks struggle to explore and affirm their gender and sexual identity. The coming out process can take a long time; my clients often need to learn how to navigate relationships with their parents, extended family, heterosexual friends, and colleagues.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, LGBTQ folks are more than twice as likely as heterosexual men and women to have a mental health disorder in their lifetime.

In my practice, I support my clients in processing their shame and fear of rejection, which is often unaddressed and can lead to depression and anxiety. Avoiding rejection is primal; human beings have always been wired for connection as it was essential for survival. For example, consider how prehistoric folks nourished themselves and survived in nature. What are the chances of hunting a buffalo, fighting off a bear, or building a solid shelter on your own? This is innate within all humans and why banishment from the social group was the cruelest punishment in ancient times. Indeed, the need to belong is so powerful that when unmet, mental health suffers.

Now, imagine how it feels for LGBTQIA folks who moved to the USA from countries where being LGBTQIA or gender non-conforming is extremely dangerous. The danger is so great that these people must leave behind their support networks, professional occupations, and familiar culture based on shared language and values.

Successful acculturation is crucial for the mental health of asylees, immigrants, and refugees

As a peer support group facilitator for LGBTQ asylees, I have met people who have sacrificed so much of their known world just for the right to live and be who they are; these brave souls had the courage to seek another life in an unfamiliar world in order to avoid the constant threat of arrest, humiliation, and abuse for their sexual orientation and gender identity.

But even in a new more accepting place, many quickly realize that freedom and safety come at the cost of loneliness, isolation, anxiety, and depression. In my experience as a twice-immigrant, I learned how challenging and exhausting acculturation can be. First, you must find a job and a place to stay, and quite often, you have to rely on the kindness and decency of strangers. This doesn’t always go well; I have heard many stories of newly arrived immigrants seeking help from the immigrant diaspora from their own cultures, only to be re-traumatized by homophobic and transphobic attitudes. In fact, some become victims of scammers who take advantage of their undocumented status and inability to advocate for themselves

In the USA, asylum seekers are among the least protected social groups of immigrants because they are ineligible for federal public benefit programs and must rely on themselves for many months before qualifying for any government-sponsored social or financial support. For example, asylees may apply for employment authorization 150 days after filing asylum applications. In practice, it can take up to a year to receive an Employment Authorization Document, meaning that people who need work opportunities to survive and support themselves are not given this opportunity because of bureaucracy and long waiting times. Consequently, LGBTQIA asylees need a safe and compassionate volunteer community to help them survive and stay sane in the first few years of moving to this country. These needs are basic: financial support, secure and LGBTQ-friendly accommodation, access to medical care, social connections, culturally sensitive LGBTQ therapy for couples, guidance in navigating American culture, career coaching and so much more. My goal is to help LGBTQ immigrants in Portland find LGBTQ-friendly therapists, gay-friendly therapists and build the community and support they need to start a new life.

We need an LGBTQ-friendly and affirmative community to support foreign-born LGBTQ folks in Portland

My journey in the USA was different because I had family support here, and my ability to speak English allowed me to have a professional career and this eased my acculturation process. Today, I can advocate for myself and develop relationships that help me feel safe and appreciated in a new culture. I have tremendous empathy and admiration for foreign-born folks (with limited English) who move here and fight to rebuild their lives from scratch. I know that life is a struggle for them, and these people are persevering every day for their right to stay in this country because returning home is not an option. My goal is to create a safe and trauma-informed community for LGBTQIA immigrants, refugees, and asylees here because I believe that interpersonal connections are essential for giving people a sense of belonging, healing trauma, and reducing anxiety and depression. Please get in touch with me if you are interested in participating as a volunteer or if you are a person who needs help.

Katya Stark

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