Queer man flees El Salvador, finds refuge in D.C.
A queer man from El Salvador who participated in a State Department program that allows American citizens to help refugees resettle in the U.S.
is now living in D.C. Xander, who is not the person’s real name, on Dec. 18 told the Washington Blade he left El Salvador because he and his family “found ourselves in dangerous situations.” “I suffered certain (instances) of discrimination and verbal abuses from people who were connected with criminal groups,” said Xander. “I endured that situation for a long time, until I decided to stop all of this.” Xander said a neighbor beat his mother and grandmother and gang members threatened them.
Xander told the Blade he had a second incident with the neighbor’s son. “The son did not attack me, but I was still afraid because his mother threatened me with gangs, that they were going to take care of us,” he said. “I received ridicule, some of which were partly homophobic, from my neighbor, and it is known that in El Salvador there are no laws that protect people like me.” Xander said he lived in a neighborhood “where calling the police was prohibited by criminal groups, which is why I began to seek help because I feared for my life.” “I feared being followed to my place of work, or that my family or me would be murdered,” he said.
Xander told the Blade his mother and grandmother did not leave their home because they were afraid. “I had to seek psychological help because there was a lot of stress and thoughts in my head,” said Xander. “To this day I cannot hear people or screaming because I remember the day when my mother and my grandmother were beaten.” Xander left El Salvador on Nov.
