Dear friends,
My name is Elham and I'm a refugee from Iran. I was nearly forced into having sexual reassignment surgery as a "cure" for being a lesbian. When I didn't go through with the surgery, my uncle threatened to kill me, so I fled to Turkey.
Turkey was supposed to be a temporary stop, while I was resettled to a country that is actually safe for LGBT people like me. That was over three years ago.
The United States was my last hope. But President Trump's ban has left countless queer refugees like me stuck in Turkey, with very little help.
That's why I'm writing to you today, Luc. All Out is partnering with the Iranian Railroad for Queer Refugees (IRQR), a Canadian-based organisation that helps people like me.
Over 400 All Out members have donated – help us get to 1,000 by March 31st and chip in today.
Even though you can be put to death for being gay in Iran, life has hardly been easier for me here in Turkey. I've been fired and kicked out of my apartment because I’m a lesbian. But as a refugee, there's little I can do to defend myself legally.
I live in fear of the violence and discrimination queer refugees like me face. Our future is so uncertain – we can't go back to the countries we came from, but life is miserable here. Most of us won't know anything about our requests for asylum for at least another four months.
With your help, I'll have a place to stay, food on my plate, and the comfort of knowing I'm not alone in my search for safety.
Thanks for going All Out,
Elham
