Ahed’s Story
Ahed grew up between Morocco, Jordan and Syria; but it’s Morocco “that will always be special in [their] heart, and that’s where [they] feel homesick for”. Speaking about their childhood bedroom, they tell me how it was “full of teddies, with Disney bedsheets and curtains” – even though it was “too much stuff – I […]
Lydia’s Story
“My idea of home over the years has not changed – it’s always been safety, peace and love. I still look for that”, Club member Lydia told us. At home in Lagos, family dinner was every night – “it was a big thing growing up. We always made sure we had dinner together”. Her father […]
Imran’s Story
For this year’s #refugeeweek, we’re celebrating the theme of #ourhome, inviting three of our members to share their stories of what home means to them and how Say It Loud Club helped them to find it. For LGBTQ+ refugees arriving in the UK, Say It Loud Club offers a community where our members can thrive […]
Evidence submitted to the House of Lords regarding the Nationality and Borders Bill
Say It Loud Club is the community of LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers in the UK. Our vision is for a world where LGBTQ+ people can express their sexuality and gender identity safely and with pride. Until this is possible, we believe the UK should be a place of safety for LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum […]
Our response to the crisis in Afghanistan
We at Say It Loud Club are heartbroken watching the situation in Afghanistan as people desperately try to find ways to escape the country and find safety. As a community of refugees and asylum seekers, we know how it feels to have your basic rights taken away from you and to live in fear for […]
Our response to the Nationality and Borders Bill
At Say It Loud Club, we are outraged by this government’s decision to continue with their ‘Nationality and Borders’ bill despite universal opposition from every organisation supporting refugees and people claiming asylum in the UK. This cruel bill will harm every person needing safety and asylum in the UK, and will disproportionately discriminate against LGBTQ+ […]
Speaking out against Home Office proposals for a new asylum system
We at Say it Loud Club are horrified by the changes to the UK’s asylum system being proposed by the Home Office. Among the many proposed changes, the following proposals would disproportionately discriminate against LGBTQ+ people seeking asylum: Requiring all evidence to be submitted at the first point of asylum application. Fast-tracking the appeals process […]
End the deportation of homeless refugees: Write to your MP
In October 2020, the UK government introduced new immigration rules which allow immigration officers to deport or refuse asylum to those who have experienced street homelessness. At Say it Loud Club, we are appalled by these new rules targeting the most vulnerable people in the UK, treating them with cruelty and contempt at a time […]
Fiona: We are all human
As part of our #noplacelikehome campaign, Holly (our Communications Manager) caught up with Say It Loud Club members to find out about their experiences with housing in the UK. Here, Holly speaks with Fiona, a Care Worker and an LGBTQ+ refugee who Say It Loud Club helped to find a flat of her own through […]
How to Tackle Homelessness: 5 Minutes with Causeway Irish Housing Association
Rose Holland Gilbert is a Re-Engagement and Recovery Worker at Causeway Irish Housing Association, which is one of Say It Loud Club’s partners for housing LGBTQ+ refugees. As part of our #noplacelikehome campaign, we asked her about the aims of her organisation, and about the reality of life as an LGBTQ+ refugee. Hi Rose! In […]