In September 2003, Vanessa left Nicaragua and fled to the United States in search of safety. Vanessa has identified as a lesbian since she was 12. She grew up in Nicaragua, where being lesbian or gay is still a criminal offense. Because of Nicaragua’s strong social and religious bias against LGBTQ people, she suffered harassment and ostracism by her family and peers. Vanessa believed she had no choice but to endure a heterosexual relationship and suppress her feelings toward women....
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LGBT Asylum
In Mongolia, Shinegerel was arrested and detained by the Mongolian police because she is a lesbian. In custody, Shinegerel suffered severe physical abuse while being interrogated about her sexual orientation. She was also threatened with psychiatric hospitalization and imprisonment. NCLR represented Shinegerel at her asylum office interview. She was granted asylum by the San Francisco Asylum Office on March 15, 2005.
Luis, a 24-year-old gay man from Mexico, suffered years of discrimination, harassment, ostracism, and exclusion from school, sports, his family, and peers because of his sexual orientation. Rather than protect him, police officers in Mexico physically assaulted Luis on numerous occasions. In August, 2003, Luis left Mexico seeking safety in the United States. After months of unsuccessfully searching for legal representation, Luis turned to NCLR for assistance. NCLR contacted immigration...