Dear friends,
The hardest feeling in the world is being scared that you'll be killed for speaking your truth, but this has always been a very familiar feeling for me and many queer Syrians like me.
My name is Locked* and, after being kidnapped and tortured for who I am, I walked for 9 hours without food and water to look for safety out of my own country, where love is a crime and extremist armed groups target LGBT+ folks.
After all I went through, I now try to help queer Syrians as much as I can. That's why I co-founded the Guardians of Equality Movement (GEM), Syria's first LGBT+ organization.
When the devastating earthquake hit my country last month, I knew it would be very difficult for help to reach most people in a country already devastated by 12 years of war.
On top of that, we know now that LGBT+ survivors have been left on their own, unable to safely seek medical care and facing increased danger of being captured, tortured, and killed.
That's why I'm turning to you for urgent help, Luc. With your support, we can relocate vulnerable LGBT+ people and provide the urgent resources they need to survive.
Will you make a donation today? Your generosity can literally save lives.
The LGBT+ people I am in contact with in Syria are affected by this natural disaster in ways that most Syrians don't have to think about: while most survivors of the earthquake are worrying solely about the immediate needs of food and shelter, LGBT+ survivors are also hiding their true identities out of fear of discrimination and persecution.
They are more likely to be socially isolated and face harassment in places like emergency shelters. This makes them even more likely to be hungry and unhoused.
We are trying to help our community as quickly as possible. But we need your help to meet the hidden and urgent needs of queer Syrians who have been left behind in the aftermath of the earthquake.
Please, donate today to help LGBT+ people in Syria survive.
In solidarity,Locked(he/they)
*I'm not using my real name for safety reasons.
SOURCES:● Devastating Earthquake Affects Gem's Beneficiaries/Team In Syria & Turkey – GEM, February 2023● From Syria To Turkey: A Journey Of Concealed Truths – MyKali, 10 June 2022
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