Vicky’s journey with NCLR is a journey that spans 11 years. In 2003 Vicky came to the U.S. seeking asylum from Mexico. She had lived through abuse and violence because of her gender identity and sexual orientation in her home country. In the U.S., Vicky was working as a farm laborer, where she again faced severe anti-LGBTQ harassment. NCLR has stood beside her in every step of the way, first securing her asylum status in June 2006, and then achieving positive changes in her workplace...
Our Voices
Silah came to NCLR in 2013 after years of fear and abuse. Born in Mexico, Silah was able to escape terrible violence in her country of origin, where she was repeatedly threatened and harassed because of her gender expression and identity. When she fled to the U.S., she encountered additional abuse and ended up homeless. Silah eventually found refuge in a variety of shelters in San Francisco and was later able to connect with a support group and eventually found NCLR. Although her own asylum...
At just 12 years old, Ariana found herself living on the streets of El Salvador when her mother kicked her out of their home after Ariana told her she is transgender. “I told her ‘I don’t know what’s happening to me, but I felt myself to be a woman,’ ” said Ariana, who was abused, harassed, and threatened by her mother as well as others in her community because she’s transgender. “I tried to beg her and tell her it wasn’t my fault.”...
S.H. is a lesbian from Bosnia who came to the United States in 2006 to escape the oppressive and abusive conditions she faced because of her sexual orientation in her home country. While vacationing with her girlfriend in another town, a group of men found out that they were lesbians and raped them. The police initially took a report but later that night told the two women that they had to leave town. The police blamed the women for the assault and accused them of trying to cause problems in a...
E.G. is a young gay man from Uganda who came to the United States in order to pursue higher education. As a child and young adult, he was often verbally abused by his family members for behaving in a way that seemed too different from other boys. As he grew older, he learned to hide his sexuality for fear of being arrested by the police on the basis of his sexual orientation. E.G. hid from government operatives who hunt down men who are suspected to be gay, and then once arrested, are often...
N.A. is a young gay man from Saudi Arabia, who lived his life in fear that others would discover his sexual orientation. He knew that gay men were often detained by police, tortured and killed‚ and he also knew that his family would disapprove or even turn him in to the police if they found out about his sexual orientation. As a result, he often hid his feelings towards men, fearing the repercussions. Growing up, it was very difficult for him to accept his sexual orientation while he was...
R.T. is a gay man from Peru who fled to the United States because he was the victim of severe harassment and violence in his home country. While in Lima, Peru, he was physically assaulted several times in public, and was subjected to sexual abuse as well. The persecution started when he was young, with verbal and emotional abuse that eventually led to physical abuse. As he grew older, the abuse and harassment only worsened. After being stripped naked at his workplace by co-workers who...
Y.G. is a transgender woman from Mexico who suffered severe physical and mental abuse from her family because of her gender identity. Growing up, her family insisted that she act more “masculine,” and she was physically abused when she refused. She went to the police, but they ignored her need for protection. In February 2007, Y.G. was badly beaten by gang members who left her bleeding from head wounds. Fearing for her life, she fled to the United States. In February 2009, she was...
V.R., a gay man from Mexico, had been taunted, harassed, and assaulted for most of his life. His stepfather was particularly abusive and attempted to “make a man” out of V.R. and “correct” his sexual orientation. V.R. was also subject to constant verbal and physical harassment at school, which only worsened as he got older. He suffered physical, sexual, and emotional abuse at the hands of classmates, family members, and people in his neighborhood. He eventually left his...
