Gay Asylum Seekers (NYTimes)
To the Editor:
Re “Gays Seeking Asylum in U.S. Encounter a New Hurdle” (news article, Jan. 29):
While we appreciate your coverage of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender asylum seekers, the article is not consistent with our experience in several ways.
Each year, Immigration Equality and Human Rights First provide legal representation to hundreds of asylum seekers, and our legal team and pro bono lawyers win safe haven for most of these individuals.
In our experience, however, it is exceedingly rare for asylum seekers — whose families and home countries often stigmatize gay and transgender people — to present themselves falsely as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender to immigration officials. We have not seen an emerging trend of straight individuals claiming to be gay for immigration purposes.
[...]
Complete article at New York Times : http://nyti.ms/fVluGY
