The Other Immigrants

One thing that gets ignored in all the talk, Democratic or Republican, regarding U.S. immigration policy is that many LGBT folk come to the U.S., legally or illegally, as immigrants, refugees or asylees to escape repression and even death for simply being gay or transgender. If Latinos are feeling the heat because of Donald Trump's anti-Mexican, racist rhetoric, imagine how gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender immigrants must feel; escaping Uganda, ISIL/ISIS-controlled territories, Russian-influenced or other repressive regimes to come to America only to see butt hurt xenophobes decrying their religious right to further repress you or check your ID and junk Nazi/KGB/Stasi-style in the men's or women's restroom at the local gas station. All in the name of Jesus, Allah, Moses, SkyCake or whatever deity of choice must be defended for sure some warped interpretation of "religious freedom."

I thought about this when I was perusing the web site of ColumbusGuy's hometown newspaper, the Columbus Dispatch. There's a great story today about a couple of Ugandan refugees who escaped repression to come to Ohio, build new lives and continue to speak out for those left behind:

Two immigrants from Uganda have found themselves LGBT activists

I won't get too much into my personal connection to the issue, but the treatment of LGBT immigrants, asylees and refugees is an issue that's special to me. Even before I came to terms with my own orientation, years ago, I served with a gentleman from Sudan in the reserves who had lost his entire family to the Arab-Islamic slave traders and murderers. He was brought here by a church group to build a new life. Hearing him tell his story, I remember coming home from drill that evening and just tearing up. It's one of the few times as an adult man I've openly sobbed, thinking of how he escaped the kind of treatment that had (just) passed into the realm of history for me as an African-American. And that was just the horrors experienced by a straight African brother. Take that experience and couple it with the challenges of being gay in the "Old World."

As the election year drags on, and we hear more and more muddled talk about borders and immigrants, remember the immigrants that Trump et al rail against are not just stereotypical Mexicans crossing the Southwest borders, or Chinese asylum seekers. Many of them are our LGBT brothers and sisters, and most of those immigrants will have black and brown faces. These immigrants of colors come from the most repressive and dangerously homophobic countries on Earth (as you can see from the linked map from the ILGA, an international coalition of LGBT organizations).

So, as we enter the summer pride season, in addition to health, homelessness and other LGBT issues besides tight-ab, speedo-clad go-go boys on rainbow floats, remember there's a fight to be waged for sane immigration policies. It isn't just about Mexicans or Chinese immigrants wanting to stay here to work here, it's also about many gay folk want to stay here to simply live and breathe.

 

That's great about the ribbon, maybe I'll roll through. You just have to think of yourself and Central Ohio as the Buckeye equivalent of Texas (i.e. Austin's attitude that we're not like the rest of these guys). I crack on cowtown sometimes, but I hate Chicago so f---ing much, it makes your burb look like Shangra La in comparison. Last time I was there, I admired the chillness of all these diverse folk from all over in a Walmart I was at. Chicago likes to put itself out there as Obamaville and liberal, etc. but the people here are so goddamned xenophobic (all races). That just makes the original topic of this thread even more stressful, as every ethnic group here wants to keep "them" out. Like I always say, if NYC and Chicago were the main characters of Steinbeck's novel, Chiraq is definiitely Lenny. Plus, these are some of the dumbest, fattest mofos on Earth. I saw a statistic that said 70% of the black women here are obese (y'all bros in ATL that hate when women throw it at you when you don't want it just be thankful it ain't Precious trying to give you some play).

But i digress, back to the original theme (lol). I know Columbus and Minneapolis (NOT Chicago, NYC or LA) were chosen as the places for many of the refugees to resettle for the reasons you state. That's why I support a structured, disciplined immigration policy. I am not naive enough to believe that everyone that comes here is an angel, but I've met far too many immigrant families that contribute to the entrepreneurial richness of the country (and you know how hard I stan for small business). If we could institute a program where we take one immigrant from some other country in exchange for every three U.S.-born Trump supporter and inner city gangbanger, Id readily support such a policy!