There’s quite a queer contradiction in the United Kingdom’s gay policy.
As you know, the international embassies have embraced gay pride, flying the rainbow flag in hostile territories like Poland and Latvia. In addition, the Foreign Office distributed hundreds of “LGBT toolkits,” a handy dandy guide to all things gay.
Too bad things aren’t the same at home, where international gay refugees have faced uphill battles. Remember Mehdi Kazemi, the gay Iranian teen who finally received asylum after nearly a year in legislative limbo? And then there’s Syrian refugee Jojo Jako Yakob, who had been detained in Scotland. He was released last week, but must still face the Home Office. Well, now there’s word of yet another queer who faces an uncertain fate.
And officials doesn’t seem to give a damn…
Via UK Gay News:
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
…For Ugandan lesbian Prossy Kakooza, things are not so good.
She arrived in the UK in July last year, having fled her country after being severely beaten and burned by police purely on the grounds of her sexuality. In addition she was repeatedly raped while in custody.
Such were her injuries that when she sought medical help on arrival in UK doctors were so shocked at the extent of her injuries that the police were called.
Prossy left behind a girlfriend who is still believed to be in detention in Uganda.
The Home Office accepts that Prossy was brutally raped and burned. Yet they want to deport her back to Uganda, saying that she can settle in another town.
Yeah! Why not?! You can just move, stay in the closet or come out and be burned alive!
Prossy’s case – like the others – indicates a severe rift between the United Kingdom’s asylum policy and the international outreach. This, of course, should not be big news. The Independent Asylum Commission reported in March that the UK’s home office remains “hostile” to all refugees:
The commission found that Britain’s treatment of asylum-seekers “falls seriously below the standards to be expected of a humane and civilized society”… The report details how the “adversarial” system is failing applicants from the very first point of interview, with officials accused of stacking the odds against genuine claimants.
Regular rabble-rouser Peter Tatchell agrees. The activist recently used the aforementioned examples, as well as others, to point a finger at the ruling Labour Party:
Since 1999, the Labour government has repealed most of Britain’s anti-gay laws and introduced new legislation to recognise same-sex partnerships and protect gay people against discrimination.
These positive gay rights measures are being undermined by Labour’s failure to tackle the homophobic and transphobic bias of the asylum system.
…
Labour’s claim to be a LGBT-friendly government rings hollow when it continues to fail genuine LGBT refugees. We must insist on an asylum system that is fair, just and compassionate – for LGBT refugees and for all refugees.
The Home Office’s homo situation isn’t simply a question of alleged homophobia, but whether Democratic, free countries should welcome those who come from less hospitable lands. The answer’s pretty clear to us: a government, any government, cannot responsibly advise someone to cloak themselves to survive. It’s unfair, it’s cruel and, most of all, it’s dangerous.
Beelzebab
Just curious, but what’s the situation in the USA?
M Shane
It’s not difficult to make an educated guess as to why England or the USA would refuse asylum to countries from which it gets economic benefit any more than those countries perpetrate and have tolerated genocide. Since the advent of Globalization, we & the Brits have forced 3rd world countries into exceedingly compromised positions. It has proven to be to our benefit in this process to discourage democratic leadership, or any degree of freedom.
If we do allow amny freedom they nationalise and throw Corporations who are robbing them out. Look at Indonesia and the millions of people we allowed Sukarno to butcher. (here’s where your Nikes come from)
We can’t very well encourage carnage in the coutries from whom we benefit businesswise and turn around and allow amnesty for it’s victims.
On the other hand, in Places like Somalia, where we have huge amounts to gain we benefit from the continuation of warfare, since there is a ton of Oil. If the warefare stopped and there were still people around they would want their own oil, so we invite them here to work at MacDonalds.
Economic gain always trumps humanism in free markets.
Moo
It’s sad but the UK government is facing pressure to deport as many asylum seekers as possible, regardless of sexuality. In an ideal world, she wouldn’t have to leave Uganda, but we don’t live in that world, we’re stuck with this crap one.
tallskin
There is another factor to bear in mind that people are claiming to be be gay because they know that it is likely to get them sympathy, and possibly, asylum. There has been such abuse of the asylum system that countries are loathe to trust any claims whatsoever.
foofyjim
Tallskin – Do you think she faked the burns and rapes?
queryourself
It’s easy to fly a flag. But that’s Labour for you – spin and an eye on the press. Anyway, it’s their fault if the public are sensitive to the number of bogus asylum seekers coming into the country – they’ve been so lax over the years. It’s just a shame if those in genuine need are caught up in the back-lash.
ps. In the UK you could be hung from Tower Bridge for showing that picture of the queen – although it is quite funny.
Jonathon
You can’t be hung in the UK for the picture. I’m afraid any form of capital punishment was abolished with the Human Rights Act – including that of treason. It’s surprisingly common to think you can be sentenced to death in the UK, but under no circumstances can you.
Moo
And anyway, it’s hanged, not hung.
queryourself
Jonathan
Thank you for clarifying that for me, because I really did think that one could be hung or (thank you Moo) “hanged” for posting a picture of the queen picking her nose.
That explains why I haven’t seen any stinking corpses rotting at Tyburn for ages. I wondered where they’d all gone. Damn Human Rights Act spoiling all our fun!
Shabaka
Bogus asylum seekers will always be around, be it based on alleged sexual orientation, ethnic background or creed. There’s a south American man here in Toronto, whose refugee claim was just denied by the Ontario Immigration office because they didn’t have sufficient proof that he’s gay or that he’d be imprisoned or worse once he returns home. But at the same time, another African man that I know, was granted his refugee status and I know he’s straight and he’s now engaged to a woman. So go figure.
tallskin
foofyjim
I have no idea if she faked anything, the point is that so many HAVE faked and lied and deceived that when found out it destroys asylum possibilities for others.
And no one has mentioned the US asylum policy towards gays!
Dexpat Mike
Ah well, considering I can’t get my partner into the US legally who is not an asylum seeker and is self-supporting, I would hate to think what the US does for people who want (no, need to get) in and need help from the state to start the lives in a new country. forget it! and a queer asylum seeker! ha, yeah right. We’ll have the second coming all the evangelicals are waiting for before that happens.
tallskin
Sorry to hear about that, Dexpat Mike. That’s really galling.
chuck
I am in a similar situation with my partner from the Philippines, Dexpat. I know exactly how you feel.
queryourself
I can assure you that the Queen Mum wouldn’t have sued you for what was in the posts of mine that you removed.
It’s good to see that the spirit of the Watergate journalists is alive and well. In the word of the duke of Wellington “publish and be damned.”
queryourself
What an idiot I am. I got confused with the other thread that featured a photo of the Queen – and I thought that you’d removede my post – only I got the wrong… anyway.. my posts haven’t been removed.. which makes me an Idiot. But just so as you know … remove my posts and I’ll not be happy.
Anyway, sorry.
Kye
I think it’s unbelievable that a country like the USA has the nerve to ctiicise our policies regarding gay immigration.
Your fantastic immigration service won’t even allow me in to your country for the simple reason that I happen to be an HIV carrier
Your policies on basic human rights for gay men and woman stink, not to mention your policies of incarcerating people without trial means that it’s hypocritical of you to comment on another country, people in glass houses really shouldn’t throw stones.
Yes our immigration policy does need overhauling a fact that most of us Brits are aware of , we take in the highest number of immigrants in Europe on a yearly basis, being gay does not automatically give you the right to asylum in Britain or where would the line be drawn