He has since been approved, after LGBTQ rights group Queer Base advocated on his behalf
A gay Iranian man seeking asylum in Austria was denied because he couldn’t identify the meaning of all the Pride flag’s colored stripes.
Navid escaped persecution in Iran, where he feared for his life because of his sexuality, and settled in Vienna. But in June his application was denied by the Federal Office for Aliens and Asylum because he was unable to identify what each color in the rainbow flag, designed by Gilbert Baker, represented.
Austrian LGBTQ rights group Queer Base went to work on Navid’s behalf, arguing the government didn’t properly consider his application. Officials didn’t even interview his partner to find out if he was gay, for instance, according to Gay Star News.
A public outcry followed, once his story became more widely known, and just weeks after the BFA denied his asylum, the Federal Administrative Court ruled in Navid’s favor. He was granted asylum officially on Monday.
Queer Base shared the news on Twitter, expressing gratitude for all those who supported the effort to keep Navid in Austria.
Wir freuen uns sehr gemeinsam mit Navid und danken allen Unterstützer_innen! pic.twitter.com/d5zl1JX00n
— Queer Base (@Queer_Base) August 13, 2018
The rainbow Pride flag’s stripes represent the following: life (red), healing (orange), sunlight (yellow), nature (green), serenity (blue), and spirit (purple/violet). Two other colors were originally included, but removed due to the difficulty of finding enough of that fabric, that stood for sex (pink) and magic/art (turquoise).
