Queer Diaspora speaks at the Science Gallery

NXF Launch LGBT Migrants Report

Some experts from Evgeny section:

“Imagine that you are living here all the time, 24/7 in this stage. Observed by a lot of people, some of them don’t like you, some of them are okay with you and some of them are friends with you.

“You have this feeling of a constant panopticon of being constantly observed.”

Although Evgeny initially wanted to see the creation of LGBT+ safe spaces within Direct Provision, living in the system has shown him that this is not the solution.

“It’s not about LGBT, it’s not about us, it’s about the whole society.

“It’s about a very severe, it’s not even hostile, it’s a severe phenomenon of very very vulnerable people who are forced to live in an absolutely inhumane situation.

“I didn’t ask for this, I asked for international protection for my human rights.

“It’s absolutely bad for society because being inside as a social anthropologist I see people who are cultivating frustration which will transform into hate in the future.

“They won’t forgive because I see people who are spending seven years there. Imagine seven years here (on the stage). It’s something that cant be easily forgotten even if you’ve got papers.

“The most difficult thing is this uncertainty that people are living in because there are no criteria for how your case will be developed. There is no clear understanding of what is the stage.”

See full report by National LGBT Federation: “Far From Home: Life as an LGBT Migrant” here.

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