The LGBT Asylum Project - Center for Immigrant Protection

The LGBT Asylum Project - Center for Immigrant Protection Exclusively dedicated to providing accessible legal representation for LGBT immigrants who are fleeing persecution and seeking asylum in the United States.

We are the only Bay Area non-profit program dedicated solely to offering accessible legal representation to vulnerable LGBT immigrants fleeing persecution abroad and seeking protection in the United States. ​

Friday, June 5, marks HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day (HLTSAD) 2026. The date coincides with a historical mileston...
06/05/2026

Friday, June 5, marks HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day (HLTSAD) 2026. The date coincides with a historical milestone in the history of the AIDS epidemic. On June 5, 1981—45 years ago—the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), a publication of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, first reported on cases of a mysterious illness affecting young gay men; the disease soon became known as AIDS, which is caused by untreated HIV.

HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day was established in 2014 by Let’s Kick ASS —AIDS Survivor Syndrome. As the organizers write on HLTSAD.org:

“ honors and uplifts the resilience of those who have lived with HIV since before 1996—before effective treatments existed. It shines a light on their enduring strength, lived experience and vital role in shaping the ongoing fight for justice, care, and dignity.

It’s a day to honor long-term survivors of HIV and raise awareness about their needs, issues, and journeys.”

On June 11, we will host a special Pride Volunteer Day at The LGBT Asylum Project.Throughout the year, our volunteers pl...
06/05/2026

On June 11, we will host a special Pride Volunteer Day at The LGBT Asylum Project.

Throughout the year, our volunteers play a vital role in helping us provide free legal services to LGBTQ+ asylum seekers, and Pride Month offers a meaningful opportunity to come together in support of this work. During Volunteer Day, participants willexpand our capacity to serve those seeking safety and protection.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who generously shares their time, skills, and energy with our organization. Their commitment helps make our mission possible and reminds us that Pride is not only a celebration, it is also an act of community care and collective action.

*Please use Volunteer Sign-Up form to sign up for our Volunteer Day. You will see the link in the bio.

**We don’t require a legal background, we provide training to our volunteers. We will send you an additional training video as the day approaches.

Today (5 June) marks Aromantic Visibility Day – a time to celebrate and amplify aromantic voices.The first Aromantic Vis...
06/05/2026

Today (5 June) marks Aromantic Visibility Day – a time to celebrate and amplify aromantic voices.

The first Aromantic Visibility Day was held in 2023, organised on X.

Aromantic – also shortened to “aro” – is usually defined as someone who has “little or no romantic feeling towards others”. 

Opposite to alloromanticism – where a person feels romantic attraction to others – aromanticism often covers a large spectrum of identities. While some people may not experience any romantic attraction, others may identify as “grayromantic” or “demiromantic”, meaning they only experience romantic attraction rarely or with people they have strong bonds with. 

Contrary to some misconceptions, being aromantic is not the same as being asexual. Aromantic people may still enjoy sexual relationships. 

Not to be confused with the Agender Flag, the Aromantic Pride flag is made up of green, white, grey and black. It was made by Cameron Whimsy in 2014, and the colour green was chosen because it is the opposite of red, the colour usually associated with romantic love. White represents platonic love, while grey and black represent the different parts of the sexuality spectrum. 

On June 6, members of The LGBT Asylum Project team will be tabling at Building the Block: Rainbow Reunion, the San Franc...
06/03/2026

On June 6, members of The LGBT Asylum Project team will be tabling at Building the Block: Rainbow Reunion, the San Francisco LGBT Center’s annual Pride Block Party.

This free, all-ages community celebration brings together LGBTQ+ organizations, artists, performers, small businesses, and community members from across the Bay Area to kick off Pride season. We are excited to share information about our work, connect with supporters, and meet members of our community in a joyful and welcoming space.

If you are attending, be sure to stop by our table and say hello! We would love to meet you and share more about how we are working to support LGBTQ+ asylum seekers throughout Northern California.

Happy Pride Month, A Word of Celebration from Our EDAs we celebrate Pride Month, once again I am reminded that Pride has...
06/02/2026

Happy Pride Month,
A Word of Celebration from Our ED

As we celebrate Pride Month, once again I am reminded that Pride has always been about more than visibility, it is about resilience, community, and the unwavering belief that everyone deserves to live freely and authentically. At a time when LGBTQ+ rights and protections continue to face challenges around the world, we remain inspired every day by the courage of the asylum seekers we serve and by the incredible support of our community. This Pride Month, we celebrate every victory, honor those who came before us, and recommit ourselves to ensuring that LGBTQ+ people fleeing persecution can find safety, dignity, and hope. Thank you for standing with us and helping us in our cause!

Kenan Arun
Executive Director
The LGBT Asylum Project

Immigrant Heritage Month gives people across the United States an opportunity to annually explore their own heritage and...
06/01/2026

Immigrant Heritage Month gives people across the United States an opportunity to annually explore their own heritage and celebrate the shared diversity that forms the unique story of America.

Since June of 2014, Immigrant Heritage Month has given immigrants and allies an opportunity to discover common experiences and unite as human beings. While showcasing the contributions of immigrants to the United States of America, this month powerfully demonstrates the unique history of the melting pot.

CELEBRATING 21 YEARS OF Today we celebrate the diversity of families within our community. This day aims to raise awar...
06/01/2026

CELEBRATING 21 YEARS OF

Today we celebrate the diversity of families within our community. This day aims to raise awareness of the diversity, joys, and challenges of all LGBTQ families-found, formed, and chosen- and to show their strength, elevate their collective stories, and reaffirm allies’ support.

lgbtqrights

Pride is resistance. Pride is protest. Pride is celebration. Pride is refusing to be silent.This month, we honor the str...
06/01/2026

Pride is resistance. Pride is protest. Pride is celebration. Pride is refusing to be silent.

This month, we honor the strength, resilience, and ingenuity of the LGBTQIA+ community.

We unite in advocating for equity, justice, and the freedom to thrive for all. Together, we can continue to amplify diverse voices and build a future where everyone feels seen, heard, and celebrated.

The parliament in Ghana has approved a new bill criminalising homosexuality and the promotion of LGBTQ+ activities.It pr...
05/31/2026

The parliament in Ghana has approved a new bill criminalising homosexuality and the promotion of LGBTQ+ activities.

It proposes that identifying as le***an, gay, bisexual, transgender or q***r be punished by up to three years’ imprisonment. The bill also introduces a “duty to report” prohibited acts to police.

Religious leaders have pressured President John Dramani Mahama, who still needs to ratify the legislation, to strengthen anti-gay laws since he came to power last year.

The ban has been sharply criticised by international organisations, including Human Rights Watch, which said it placed LGBTQ+ peoples’ lives at risk while also “encouraging citizens to surveil and denounce one another”. Same-sex relationships have been banned in Ghana under laws dating from the British colonial era.

In an address to parliament, the bill’s sponsor Reverend John Ntim Fordjour said it would protect Ghanaian family and cultural values.

He said the new bans would make existing laws “more robust, more encompassing and more stringent in dealing with the practices of LGBTQI”. Anyone who identifies as an “ally”, a general term for a supporter of LGBTQ+ people, could also face a prison sentence.

Exemptions were included for legal, media and healthcare professionals who report on LGBTQ+ issues or provide medical treatment or other services for gay people.

Following an aggressive ad recruitment drive to bring in “deportation judges,” the Department of Justice announced the s...
05/30/2026

Following an aggressive ad recruitment drive to bring in “deportation judges,” the Department of Justice announced the swearing-in of 82 immigration judges, the largest class in history to tackle the 3.2 million backlog in cases.

The ad that seeks to recruit “deportation judges” boasts an additional 25% signing bonus for first-time federal employees in cities such as San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Concord, Sacramento, Santa Ana, Boston, and Chelmsford.

The incoming group of judges includes 77 full-time and five temporary judges who will help decide asylum cases in the United States. Since returning to office in 2025, the Trump administration has fired or pushed out roughly more than 100 immigration judges nationwide out of a corps of over 700 judges at the start of his term. At least 14 of those were in San Francisco. Many judges are still waiting for an explanation.

Major metro courts such as San Francisco and New York were hit the hardest, with cuts having an outsized impact.

Bill Hing, professor of law and migration studies at the University of San Francisco, is raising concerns about the hiring process and the potential impact on asylum decisions.

“We should expect that this is the end of asylum. When you appear before one of these 77 judges, you’re going to be denied and it’s a shame because this isn’t about fairness. This isn’t about hiring people who are supposed to be neutral. They’re hiring people to specifically deport people,” said Professor Hing.

Professor Hing also questioned the professional background of some of the new judges.
“They were former ICE prosecutors. They were from the Judge Advocate General’s Court of the military. So, these are prosecutors. They basically are new judges that are being ordered to basically deny asylum and deport people,” Hing said.

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