White House will not set quota for LGBT Syrian refugees, but are part of priority
On Sunday, the President addressed the nation from his Oval Office focusing on the nations commitment to dismantle ISIS. In the address, Obama called ISIS “thugs and killers” and called the organization “part of a cult of death.”
On Tuesday, White House Press Josh Earnest followed up with reporters who had questions about the address. One question, in particular, by the Washington Blade, focused on getting LGBT refugees out of Syria and whether there were certain slots saved for LGBT people to relocate to the U.S.
“There are no quotas that are set aside, but the process that we have implemented does prioritize the cases of those who have been subjected to torture, including like the torture that you described, or might have been singled out for their status as a minority, whether that’s a racial minority or an ethnic minority or a religious minority, or even somebody — an LGBT person,” Earnest said.
Short answer: there aren’t a number of slots set aside for LGBT Syrians, but the administration would make cases of individuals “deemed to be the most vulnerable” a priority. He followed up by saying that LGBT people would be among the groups facing persecution that would meet that definition.
As they should. As of August, Islamic State militants had reportedly executed more than 30 men in Iraq and Syria over allegations they engaged in “sodomy.” There was even a report from the Washington Blade that a transgender woman was hung from her breasts in Damascus.
Neil Grungras, executive director of the Organization for Refugee Asylum & Migration, said he agrees the most vulnerable refugees should be a priority, which is why ORAM will “continue to advocate” for setting aside 500 slots for LGBT people among the additional refugees.
“Living under a constant threat of being thrown from the top of a building or beheaded simply because of your sexual orientation or gender identity is about as extreme a form of persecution as you can imagine,” Grungras said. “Escaping that threat only to live in constant fear of being killed by other refugees or locals is too much for any human to bear.”
For more information on what it’s like to flee your home for refuge in a safe place, check out our story on a gay Syrian refugee now living in Denver.
