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I’m making this post to raise awareness of the violence and discrimination that has been happening and continues to happen to queer people in the Kakuma camp in northwestern Kenya. Tumblr user transsmith2023 knows the situation well and told me the following,

“The queers are living in a very terrible situation comprised of persecution, torture and discrimination of all sorts that has costed many lives and severe injuries to those who still living.

You can help us through advocating for our equal rights and freedom with the help of both social media platforms, main streams if you have access to them.

You can link us to the queer organisations, personnels so that we can helped.

Private sponsorship program is open, let the queers that side know about our existence. They may be in position to privately sponsor us. Forexample America right know has welcome corps.”

He goes on to say, “Because of our orientation, we are refused jobs, limiting our access to necessary resources. Many of us are homeless and sleep outside, leaving us increasingly vulnerable to violence. We cannot afford food and water, living in poverty even more extreme than the camp’s general population . Many victims of rape and sexual violence contract HIV and other STDs, but cannot afford the medicine which could save their lives.

Our story has been platformed by major NGOs, including Amnesty- https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/05/kenyas-kakuma-refugee-camp-not-yet-safe-for-lgbti-asylum-seekers/ ,

https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/06/07/kakuma-refugee-camp-trans-lgbtq-amnesty/ , https://theconversation.com/amp/lgbti-refugees-seeking-protection-in-kenya-struggle-to-survive-in-a-hostile-environment-182810.

Despite this attention, we face no material aid and no protection from the violence which haunts us daily.”