By Haley Nilsson, Summer Intern

For many LGBTQ+ individuals, the month of June is a time to celebrate and reflect on the journey towards embracing their authentic selves. Millions of people attend Pride parades across the U.S. every year, which often feature cheerful displays of floats, dancing, and multi-colored flags waving through the air. Love and acceptance, which are at the heart of these celebrations, sometimes make it easy to forget that not every LGBTQ+ person is lucky enough to live safely after coming out. Many LGBTQ+ immigrants and asylum-seekers flee their home countries to escape persecution, and endure life-threatening abuse and violence as they attempt to cross the southern border.

This threat has become more pressing in light of new asylum restrictions the Biden administration announced on June 5. The new policy allows authorities to deny asylum processing to people who cross between ports of entry if the total number of unauthorized crossings surpasses 2,500 people. Those affected by the policy will face a years-long bar to seeking asylum in the U.S., condemning them to danger in their home country or Mexico. Deportation can be a death sentence for LGBTQ+ individuals fleeing persecution.

As of 2024, homosexuality is illegal in more than 60 countries, and highly stigmatized in many others. People in these countries who are not subjected to the death penalty are often the targets of organized crime. They are berated and threatened, beaten and raped, kidnapped and killed. When asked about her experience working with queer asylum-seekers, Legal Director Bethany Jackson emphasized the burden individuals carry when their communities enforce rigid values: “We see people coming from countries where the cultural expectation is to conform to societal norms even if that means denying a fundamental part of their identity.”

Asylum-seekers who arrive at the southern border are fleeing for their lives. It can take months to get the appointment required by the asylum restrictions, and deeply homophobic gangs and scarce housing in northern Mexico make waiting unfeasible. Policies that fail to protect vulnerable individuals are unacceptable. In talking about TNJFON’s work with LGBTQ+ immigrants, Legal Director Bethany Jackson said, “People should be free to live as they are without fear of persecution.”

Currently, there are 1.3 million LGBTQ+ immigrants who have found a safer home in the U.S.. Still, there are countless more members of the LGBTQ+ community who remain in danger. Protecting innocent people will require the implementation of policies designed to process asylum-seekers more efficiently and fund programs promoting their integration into society. Tennesseans can support their neighbors by fighting homophobic and transphobic legislation. LGBTQ+ individuals deserve to be married, have access to child welfare services, and receive the healthcare they need—just like everyone else.

For more information on the latest asylum restrictions and policy solutions, see this page published by WelcomeWithDignity, an advocacy group for asylum rights.