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The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how migrants in South Africa identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or with other diverse sexual orientations or gender identities (LGBTQ+) describe and understand their pre-migration family experiences and how family and other social relationships facilitated strength during post-migration. We conducted six focus groups, consisting of both morning and afternoon sessions, which included a total of 30 LGBTQ+ migrants (ages 21–42). The following themes were identified using grounded theory: managing family responses during pre-migration: concealing, avoiding, disclosing; the power of (even) one: support during post-migration; “love is a very big thing”: drawing strength from chosen family; and “pulling myself up”: drawing strength from self-reliance. Findings demonstrate that many participants reported experiencing negative responses from family, but some continued to rely on family support after arriving in South Africa. Further, participants often depended on newfound friendships for support as well as their own internal resources. This self-reliance was facilitated in part by participants’ understanding that they could not depend on their families or other people because of the negative responses faced in their countries of origin. Implications for theory, research, and practice are discussed.

Violence against sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals has continued to proliferate globally. Yet, less is known about victimization among subgroups of SGM individuals, especially SGM immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. There has been a steady increase in this vulnerable group of migrants over the years, and emerging evidence has pointed to their heightened risk of victimization. We conducted a scoping review of the peer-reviewed literature that examined violence, abuse, and mental health among SGM individuals who migrate internationally. One hundred ninety-nine articles were identified by searching five scholarly databases and hand searching. Twenty-six articles met inclusion criteria. We first used the migration framework, which outlines the distinct phases of the migration trajectory (predeparture, travel, interception, destination, and return), to categorize findings and then identified four overarching themes to capture SGM migrants’ experiences at each phase: severe and prolonged violence and abuse related to sexual orientation or gender identity (predeparture); continued victimization and high-risk for sexual violence (travel); detainment- and deportation-related violence and abuse (interception and return); and new manifestations of violence and abuse while living with past trauma (destination). Violence and abuse began in childhood and continued in the host country, where they faced discrimination while managing posttraumatic stress disorder and depression. Findings indicate that SGM migrants are extremely vulnerable to victimization. There is an immediate need for policies to protect SGM individuals worldwide and for affirmative, culturally informed practices to help SGM migrants manage trauma and the structural barriers impeding recovery.

This chapter aims to provide a critical review of the literature that addresses the ways in which sexual and gender minorities (SGMs) with migration experience navigate mental health issues. There has been a recent growth in public interest and scholarship in Canada and the United States about the realities of SGMs with migration experience. However, there are scholarly debates and tensions in relation to how key terms related to sexuality, gender, and migration have been mobilized within this field of knowledge. This chapter thus aims to map out the ways in which knowledge about SGMs with migration experience has been categorized through migrant status, race, and ethnicity. In addition, this chapter provides a synthesis of the latest research findings on the relationship between this population and mental health issues. This chapter also critically reflects on various policy and practice implications of these findings and considers future directions for content, theories, and methodologies of research about this population.

The psychosocial impact of COVID-19 on individuals, families, and communities will likely persist for years to come. While briefing notes informed by disaster psychology and crisis management have been released to guide social workers and other mental health professionals in their work during the pandemic, the far-reaching impacts of COVID-19 may require inclusion of additional theories of trauma and resilience. Thus, this article first examines the application of complex trauma theory as an effective framework for assessing the psychosocial impacts of the pandemic, especially among individuals with prior trauma exposure, those with preexisting mental illness, and communities affected by marginalization and historical trauma. Authors then discuss the importance of using trauma-informed practice to address the effects of the pandemic on both individual and community levels during this unprecedented moment in history.

The European Union accepted more than one million refugees from Muslim-majority countries in 2015. However, Islamophobic social conditions have created numerous hardships as they attempt to integrate into European society. This situation may be especially challenging for refugees identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ). They not only experience discrimination from multiple sources but also lack connections with their diaspora communities. This qualitative study examined the experiences of LGBTQ refugees who migrated from Islamic societies to Austria (n = 19) and the Netherlands (n = 19). We conducted semi-structured interviews to understand how they experienced integration. Additionally, we interviewed five LGBTQ refugee service providers to triangulate data and enrich findings. We identified the following themes: precarious livelihoods, the complexity of depending on others, still not free, and you’re Muslim; we don’t want you. Findings indicated that participants experienced uncertainty regarding the asylum process, including issues related to the Dublin Regulation. Although participants relied on host community members to ease integration, they also encountered discrimination based on race, religion, and immigration status. In Vienna, this discrimination was experienced as overt, whereas in Amsterdam, it was subtler. Participants also encountered discrimination based on their sexual and gender identity from other refugees, compromising their ability to receive services needed to facilitate integration. The article concludes with recommendations for promoting the integration of LGBTQ refugees into the European Union.

Researchers are beginning to document the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) forced migrants in settlement. However, studies exploring the perceptions of service providers working with this vulnerable population are limited. These may shed light on the challenges of meeting the needs of LGBT forced migrants, especially mental health issues and problems. This qualitative study elicited the views of 22 Canadian service providers, including advocates, lawyers and mental health practitioners, who serve LGBT forced migrants. Grounded theory analysis revealed the following four themes: facilitating safety, buffering rejection; tracking avoidance patterns; interpreting mental health; and negotiating identity paradigms. Participants' accounts suggest that LGBT forced migrants may be best served by providers who understand the exigencies of establishing trust and safety for their clients; recognise their clients' nuanced social support needs; facilitate the refugee claims process; grasp the complexity of their clients' mental health challenges; and interrogate their own cultural biases regarding sexual orientations and gender identities.

Despite the well-documented prevalence of rape as a strategy of war, little is known about the specific psychological consequences to children born of conflict-related sexual violence. The results of data analysis of 7 focus groups and 60 in-depth interviews with children born of genocidal rape in Rwanda indicated that they are carrying the trauma of their own stigmatization and marginalization, are burdened with their mothers' trauma, and, we conclude, symbolize unresolved collective trauma for the society. Analysis also reveals that healing for these young adults requires interpersonal and intrapersonal compassion and acceptance, a meaningful connection with a peer group, societal recognition, and empowerment to help contribute to and transform their lives and societies. Each of these pathways to healing—intrapersonal, interpersonal, and social—is contingent upon the other, and none can be considered in isolation. To support this largely invisible population striving to fulfill their potential, opportunities need to be created for self-acceptance and acceptance by mothers, families, and communities; sharing and building emotional and social bonds with their cohort group; formal recognition; official social rituals to validate their experiences and those of the mother–child dyad in the context of culture and community; and for socioeconomic opportunities to enable them to fully participate in building the future of Rwanda.

This exploratory study used grounded theory to understand the role of minority stress on the first-year experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and questioning emerging adults attending a univ...

Progress in analyzing and interpreting the concepts of sexual orientation and gender identity in the context of refugee law has contributed to a rise in individuals seeking asylum in such countries as the United States and Canada. However, few studies have examined the victimization experiences of sexual- and gender-identity forced migrants prior to their arrival in North America. This qualitative study used thematic analysis to explore the premigration adult victimization experiences of 26 lesbian, gay, and transgender individuals who obtained refugee, asylee, or withholding-of-removal status in the United States or Canada based on persecution for their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Participants originated from countries in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. Analysis revealed the following themes: living on the edge, adopting concealment strategies, routine victimization, and protectors as perpetrators. Participants described living in a constant state of hypervigilance, and they adopted numerous strategies to protect themselves from victimization. Despite the use of such strategies, participants experienced victimization by community members and state actors, leaving them no choice but to flee to ensure their safety and well-being. Findings are discussed using the ecological framework outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO). The discussion concludes with implications for international policy and clinical practice.

In 2015, more than 600,000 individuals from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan fled to Europe in search of protection. Among the most understudied of this population are individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ). These individuals have not only fled war but also violence due to their sexual and/or gender identities. At the same time, LGBTQ individuals from other parts of the Middle East, Central and South Asia, and North Africa have also fled to Europe to escape persecution. The purpose of this multimethod study was to understand how traumatic stress shaped the experiences of 38 LGBTQ individuals who fled to Austria (n = 19) and the Netherlands (n = 19) from these regions. We assessed participants for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and conducted qualitative interviews to understand their migration experiences. Of the 37 participants assessed for PTSD, 33 (89.2%) reported that their most distressing event occurred prior to migration. For the 24 (64.9%) participants who met criteria for a provisional diagnosis of PTSD, 15 reported that the precipitating event was related to their sexual and/or gender identities and 9 reported that it was related to another type of event (e.g., war). Grounded theory was used to analyze qualitative data. Themes demonstrated that participants encountered targeted violence and abuse throughout migration and upon their arrival in Austria and the Netherlands. Findings indicate that LGBTQ refugees may be vulnerable to ongoing trauma from other refugees and immigration officials. Recommendations for protecting and supporting LGBTQ refugees during humanitarian emergencies are provided.

Since 1994, increasing numbers of persons are fleeing persecution based upon their nonconformity with traditional gender roles. This qualitative study explores the experiences of 14 men and women from Islamic societies persecuted in their countries for resisting gender-role norms and, ultimately, gaining asylum in the United States. Findings suggest that “gender role outlaws” in resettlement may be alienated from families and more traditional coethnic others by their alignment, or perceived alignment, with Western constructs, and may also be marginalized by mainstream communities. Ultimately, findings contrast with received knowledge that family and coethnic affiliation is possible and positive for Muslims in resettlement and point to the need for alternative sources of social support.