Kakuma refugee camp’s LGBTQ residents remain resilient
The Kakuma refugee camp in northwestern Kenya is home to a large number of refugees and asylum seekers from different parts of Africa, including LGBTIQ individuals who have fled persecution in their home countries.
For many LGBTIQ refugees, Kakuma is not a safe place. We face discrimination, harassment and violence from other refugees as well as from the local community.
We have come out to amplify our voices to the world, hoping to raise awareness of the challenges we face and to advocate for our rights.
We have organized ourselves into groups to support each other and demand better treatment from the authorities. However, our efforts have been met with resistance and hostility from some of the other refugees in the camp who view our sexuality as a threat to their cultural and religious values.
