Celebrating Pride Month: What “Pride” Really Means in the Context of Displacement

With the arrival of Pride Month, we take the opportunity to highlight how LGBTQI+ rights deeply intersect with the realities of forced displacement and migration.

Pride Month offers a powerful moment of celebration and a time for reflection. We celebrate the diversity of queer identities, as well as the rights and freedoms that the LGBTQI+ community has fought for and won so far - through resilience, courage, and collective effort. But Pride also means recognising the ongoing injustices, discrimination, and dangers that LGBTIQ+ people continue to face around the world.

Criminalisation and Forced displacement: Why Queer People Are Forced to Flee

Discrimination, criminalisation, and persecution - these are some of the main reasons why many LGBTQI+ people are forced to flee their countries of origin and seek international protection. Recent data shows that LGBTQI+ people continue to face major challenges in accessing their basic rights. In particular, research has shown that in 64 UN member States, same-sex relationships are still criminalised and punishable by imprisonment or death. Meanwhile, at least 61 UN member States have laws, rules, and regulations that restrict freedom of expression around sexual and gender diversity. These systematic injustices drive many LGBTQI+ individuals to seek asylum towards other living conditions where they can fully express their identity with pride and dignity. 

However, the discrimination that queer people have to endure does not end at the borders of their home countries. It remains a persistent reality during the migration journey—and even after reaching their country of destination—where stigma, violence, and exclusion too often continue.

Dangerous Journeys and Unsafe Destinations

Queer people are at heightened risk of physical, sexual, and psychological violence at every stage of displacement—from their countries of origin, during transit, and even upon arrival in their host countries. Unsafe shelters, lack of access to adequate healthcare, and abuse by border agents, police, immigration officials, and service providers are some of the main risks LGBTQI+ people on the move face during their journey. In particular, transgender, gender diverse, and some intersex people are exposed to additional risks at borders and checkpoints, where their official documentation may not align with their gender identity or gender expression, leading to humiliation, delays, or denial of services.

At the same time, for many LGBTQI+ individuals, reaching Europe does not necessarily equate to finding safety. Instead, they often encounter continued discrimination, marginalisation, and violence in countries of destination. In addition, LGBTQI+ people keep facing multiple barriers to accessing basic services, including employment, housing, healthcare,  and social protection. Racism, xenophobia, and homophobia often compound these challenges, making integration even more difficult. 

“Still Not Safe”: The Reality for LGBTQI+ People in the Samos Closed-Controlled Access Centre

The Samos Closed-Controlled Access Centre (CCAC) is a clear example of how reception centres and asylum systems continue to fail queer asylum seekers, adding further stress and risks to already precarious situations.

Testimonies from residents reveal that many LGBTQI+ individuals feel constantly unsafe, isolated, and unable to express themselves. Despite repeated appeals, there are no adequate accommodations or protection measures in place for LGBTQI+ people inside the CCAC. 

This is particularly troubling considering the large number of people in the CCAC who come from countries where same-sex relationships are criminalised. The cruel irony is that—even after escaping persecution and violence at home—many LGBTQI+ individuals continue to face homophobia inside the CCAC, and exclusion from the local population. The absence of protective measures, vulnerability assessments, or designated safe zones for queer residents exacerbates their marginalisation and mental health struggles, turning what should be a place of refuge into yet another hostile environment.

Reimagining Safety: The Power of Safe Spaces

As more queer individuals seek safety and protection through international asylum systems, states must prioritise their specific needs by ensuring protection through expedited procedures, legal assistance, and access to inclusive, safe services.

To fill this gap, at Samos Volunteers, we host the confidential Samos LGBTQI+ Group, to offer a space where queer individuals can gather, share experiences, and reclaim a sense of community—essential for their well-being. Through psychosocial activities and workshops, this project aims to empower, offer respite, as well as raise awareness of the discrimination faced by LGBTQI+ people in the Samos CCAC, and facilitate the referral pathway for refugees in need of legal support and protection. 

Pride as Resistance: Standing with LGBTQI+ Asylum Seekers

This Pride Month, we amplify the voices of LGBTQI+ people who have been forced to flee, but who continue to fight for their identity. We honour their right to live openly and safely, and we call on institutions and governments to take action to protect their dignity, rights, and future.

Let us reaffirm our commitment to justice, equality, and the right of every queer person to live as their true self—during Pride and every day beyond it.

Written by Gaia Polidori, Communications Officer

Edited by Dalia Impiglia, Communications, Advocacy and Fundraising Coordinator