Dear friends,
For most of my life, I didn't know it was okay to be a lesbian.
My name is Elham and I'm a 23-year-old refugee from Iran. Doctors in Iran told me I must be transgender. They said there was no way I could be a woman who liked other women.
My uncle said I was a dishonour to our family and threatened to kill me. I was left with no other choice but to escape to Turkey. But Turkey isn't safe for gay and lesbian people like me, either – we're targeted with violent assaults and constant discrimination.
After years of trying, I came very close to being resettled in the United States, but everything changed when Donald Trump became president. Now, I'm stuck in Turkey, waiting again.
Still, I have hope – All Out is working with an amazing organisation called the Iranian Railroad for Queer Refugees (IRQR). If enough All Out members chip in, IRQR can pay for safe housing and food for me and 49 other LGBT refugees stuck in Turkey.
I'm paid 20 Turkish Lira (about $5 USD) for working as a dishwasher from noon to 3:00 am. After three years of living and waiting in Turkey, I've never been able to purchase new clothes.
I've had to change jobs many times because of employers threatening me with sexual assault. And just a few days ago, my landlord kicked me out after he was told that I'm a lesbian.
Throughout these three years stuck in Turkey, I've been tirelessly working towards resettlement to a safer country. President Trump's Executive Order put an immediate stop to the progress I had made. I'm told I'll have to wait at least four months before I know what will happen to me.
But with your help, these next four months will be a little less scary.
Thanks for going All Out,
Elham
