Dear friends,
"I read a lot on the internet about the lives of gay people in other countries, and I dream of living like them."
Unfortunately, his dream will never come true. Rafi, a 24-year-old gay man, was one of the 2,530 people killed by the devastating earthquakes in Syria that left 3,700 other people injured and countless others without family, without their homes, without anything.
And there's a hidden tragedy within this tragedy: we know now that LGBT+ survivors have been left behind, unable to safely seek medical care and facing increased danger of being captured, tortured, and killed.
That's why my organization – ILGA Asia – is partnering with the Guardians of Equality Movement, Syria's first LGBT+ organization, and All Out to make sure vulnerable LGBT+ Syrians get the urgent resources they need to survive.
Can you donate to help provide urgent aid to LGBT+ Syrians?
If enough people chip in, 50 LGBT+ people we've identified in Syria will get the help they need to survive. This includes food, relocation, medication, psychological support, and other emergency resources.
"I tried several times to reach Turkey, and I was hoping to go to Canada, where I can live freely and safely as I hear, but all my attempts failed. I agreed with a smuggler to take me to Turkey and left home without telling my family, but I was beaten at the border and had to return."
Rafi's story is similar to those of countless queer Syrian who now face even more life-threatening risks in a country devastated by over 12 years of war, where love is a crime and extremist armed groups target LGBT+ folks.
The power of solidarity across borders can literally save lives. Will you donate urgently to help LGBT+ people in Syria survive.
In solidarity,
Henry Koh (they/them)Executive DirectorILGA Asia
SOURCES:● Devastating Earthquake Affects Gem's Beneficiaries/Team In Syria & Turkey – GEM, February 2023● Collapsed roofs and shattered dreams – GEM, February 2023
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