United for Change: Collaborating to Address LGBTQ+ Migrant and Asylum Seeker Needs

Throughout their migration journey, LGBTQ+ migrants confront compounded challenges, finding themselves at heightened risk of various forms of violence, including sexual violence and torture. Despite the formidable obstacles, organizations and individuals dedicated to protecting and supporting LGBTQ+ migrants continue to operate with limited resources. Their ongoing efforts provide crucial support and involve advocacy for systemic changes, underscoring the significance of their work in the face of such adversities. Yet, the priorities for both academic research and service provision for LGBTQ+ migrants remain poorly understood.

To begin addressing this gap, Stark, Goldbach, and López, co-principal investigators and recipients of Here & Next Spark Funding, this summer partnered with the Women’s Refugee Commission to jointly host a two-day summit with community partners in Guadalajara, Mexico. Representatives across 11 different organizations convened to discuss the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ migrants and asylum seekers from Latin America and the Caribbean, in which Mexico is part of their migration journey.