This Pride Month and Refugee Week, Isabella (Trainee Facilities Co-ordinator) and Ellie (Policy and Influence Project Worker) from Manchester Community Central sat down with three local and national organisations working in the asylum sector, delving into the intersection of vulnerability that we know exists for LGBTQ+ people fleeing persecution. The aim of the project was to deeper understand and communicate the impact of this intersection, and what kind of support is really needed – as well as share the positive stories happening in Manchester’s asylum, refugee and LGBTQ+ space.
We know that LGBTQ+ asylum seekers make up approximately 2-5% of the asylum seeker population, fluctuating but coming to around 1000-1500 people per year that are claiming asylum in the UK (Source: UK Gov, 2024).
For this minority, the struggle of finding community is persistent and detrimental. Through the conversations we’ve had, we see how vital it is for this group to find a community of their own; whether religious, diasporic or queer in nature. Those who seek asylum in the UK are often alienated from these communities, because of their sexuality, stemming from religious interpretations and legal viewpoints which influence cultural attitudes in their home countries.
The organisations we interviewed support LGBTQ+ asylum seekers through social inclusion and creating community and networks. Namely, Micro Rainbow’s housing programme, Refugees at Home’s volunteer hosts and Chorlton’s Metropolitan Church’s efforts in welcoming everyone show huge strides being made across Manchester in growing community and accepting marginalised groups.
We want to spotlight these organisations’ work in supporting and building lives for these groups and remind people of the importance of connection this pride month and refugee week.
In Celebration of Refugee Week and Pride Month by Ellie Eckersley
Micro Rainbow: Interview with Rosalind Duignan-Pearson
What does Micro Rainbow do, and how do you aim to support LGBT refugee and asylum seeker communities across the UK?
Rosalind, Communications Manager at Micro Rainbow, introduced us to their work and the ultimate mission of the organisation - “Micro Rainbow has been around since 2012, working with LGBTQI people fleeing persecution, asylum seekers and refugees.”
Although a national organisation, working on a number of projects within this space, their Social Inclusion Programme and Moving On support programmes were born in 2012, in response to a growing need for connection and support in translating skills to a new cultural landscape. “We started the Social Inclusion Programme because LGBTQI refugees and asylum seekers are more isolated than mainstream asylum seekers, simply being persecuted for who you are and who you love.”
What makes Micro Rainbow unique in their approach was the introduction of their Housing Programme, which provides safe housing for LGBTQI asylum seekers fleeing persecution and the ability to create a stable life, surrounded by members of their own community. This programme came about in light of growing intentional homelessness, to solve the problem of LGBTQI asylum seekers leaving their accommodation due to harassment and persecution. LGBTQI+ people seeking asylum being housed with their own diasporic communities, experiencing ostracisation and persecution again, and the perpetuated risk of assault and violence due to transphobic and homophobic views, would feel forced to leave their provided housing, and become homeless as a result. Rosalind reflected, “people were finding that they were just as at risk and just as in danger over here as in their home countries”
To avoid the dangers of intentional homelessness for LGBTQI asylum seekers, Micro Rainbow developed their Safe Housing Programme.
How does the Housing Programme work?
This project started as a way to provide a safe space for this group of asylum seekers, largely aimed at ensuring stability for those in the asylum-seeking process by avoiding constant uprooting and upheaval; when being moved around, you’re one small cog in the vast asylum system, and the changes to your life aren’t always a consideration.
The reality of this is stark - “you might just one day come home and you’re told in 24 hours, they're going to move you 200 miles away.”
Having safe and accessible housing surrounded and supported by fellow members of the LGBTQI community opens a door to dignity, in having a private space in which you can breathe, relax and think. Rosalind shared the particular demand for this in those seeking asylum, “think on the weight of the asylum claim you’re waiting to be processed, think about how quickly your life can change, and what the future can hold in store for you.”
“The core thing we try to give people is a safe space where you can be secure and build the rest of your life from that.”
It offers the freedom to choose; how to practice your culture and religion, how to cook and what to eat, how to dress and how you want to be seen. Freedom, security and control of your own life are suddenly so achievable, and accessing queer spaces, networks, and inclusive religious groups can be transformative in terms of people being free to recognise their freedom and ability to live authentically, particularly when they are likely to have been persecuted for their sexuality in the past.
Are there any success stories that have particularly stuck with you from your time at Micro Rainbow?
One stand-out story we heard about included a gay man from Ethiopia, ostracised for his sexuality and seeking asylum, safety and acceptance in the UK. Placed in a safe house through Micro Rainbow’s housing programme, he waited for approval of his application, unable to work. After 12 months, he was given the green light to work in a role with a shortage of staff, meaning he was able to become a care worker.
“He found that it was a real vocation for him. And so, when he did get his status, finally, he secured work as an autism support worker based in the same town that gave him this opportunity years prior. He discovered that that's the niche he wanted to work in.”
It really shows, when you give someone the space to consider their future, and the opportunities to make it happen, it can make a huge difference, to them and the people around them.
Since then, the programme has grown exponentially. Rosalind explained, “we started with one safe house, now we have 30, now based nationally across London to the West Midlands all the way up to Leeds. It's increased a lot; we can offer housing to about 200 people a year and over 40,000 safe bed nights a year,” showing the increasing demand and need for this specialist support.
Is there anything you think that our readers should hear about Micro Rainbow?
“I think something that is often overlooked is that queer asylum seekers aren't automatically safe when they get to the UK, but there is a space for queer people to be supported and housed.”
In a system that pushes LGBTQI+ asylum seekers and refugees to the margins of society, strips them of their dignity and slowly dissolves their hope, Micro Rainbow aims to give this hope back.
“We like to think of it as a bit of a bit of an embrace - that Micro Rainbow will hold you and give you that security and roof over your head to rebuild everything.”
The efforts of Micro Rainbow serve as a reminder that spaces do exist for queer people, no matter where they come from and what their experiences are. And seeing the strides made in the past, we can only feel hope for their futures.
Refugees at Home: Interview with Rob Gregory
How did you first get involved with Refugees at Home?
Speaking to a long-term volunteer host for Refugees at Home, we heard about how important housing is for LGBTQ+ asylum seekers and refugees, for stability, safety and community. Rob is an openly gay man, who has offered his spare room out to refugees for roughly four to five years. “I'm a single gay man; I don't have a partner; I don't have family – but I do have a spare room and thinking about what could I do in more of a direct way, Refugees at Home was the perfect opportunity to say I actually can do something tangible to help here. It's only a small token, but I've got a room there that's not doing anything.”
He explained that a large part of his drive for getting involved was the heavily negative rhetoric that was surrounding refugees and asylum seekers at the time, even then, “I felt that I wanted to do more.” From there, Rob came across Refugees at Home online, planting a seed for ideas about direct action that could have direct impact in someone else’s life.
Rob reflected that this is particularly true for more marginalised groups who may not be getting some of that wider societal support or deemed less worthy for some of those other charitable initiatives.
Do you have an inspiring story or memory from your time as a host?
Rob shared a story that has stayed with him from his time hosting, recalling one man who stayed with him for a few weeks. When this guest fortunately found secure move-on accommodation and left, Rob went into his room afterwards and found a note he'd left behind.
Rob explained that in the note, the guest shared that in the two or three years he had spent in the UK, Rob was the only person who had ever treated him like a human being. "He said he'd just been processed and processed, dealt with in a very removed, impersonal way. He said spending time with me was about being listened to, about being treated like he wasn't an inconvenience, like he had something to offer,” highlighting the interpersonal significance of ensuring psychological safety for those who have experience of migration and asylum, that Refugees at Home’s work brings.
"That's stayed with me. It just shows the strength in the fact that we're all human, and we can all reach into our own humanity to support one another. It doesn't take much and it isn't rocket science. It's just being nice and kind to one another. And I think that's been consistent across all the refugees I've hosted.”
He reflected that hosting offers something a formal system can't easily replicate, natural, everyday human interaction in building trust, friendship and reciprocity. He acknowledged there's real vulnerability in opening your home that way but it was an extremely rewarding experience and something he ultimately saw as a return to basic humanity.
Rob also shared the significance of learning a lot about himself in this process, he explained that even if his guests aren’t LGBTQ+, they're very open to understanding a little bit more. “So, there is a bit of mutual understanding that comes from it."
What everyday acts do you feel we can we take to better support LGBTQ+ people seeking asylum?
Rob explained that everyone's journey is different, but trauma often runs through it, not just from being a refugee, but in many cases from fleeing persecution due to their own sexuality, something that may have been hidden for years and is only now being processed. He described this as a real intersectionality: navigating being both a refugee and LGBTQ+, while also trying to find your way in a new country.
He noted that while the UK is generally open and supportive, there's often a gap in knowing how to actually access that support as a refugee specifically. This is something that Rob felt the LGBTQ+ community itself has a role to play in, being more proactive in reaching out and creating safe, welcoming spaces. He considered his own running club, and a recent AGM discussion about engaging more diverse members, calling to action the city's many LGBTQ+ clubs and societies that could collectively do more.
Why do you feel it's important for LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers to be surrounded by other queer people?
Rob described people often existing in a strange in-between space. "They're here, but they're not quite here," he said. "They're unable to contribute, but they're not quite sure" where they stand.
For Rob, being part of queer community helped to change this, stating “you do belong and you’re part of something larger.” He said that people "should be included, they should be part of this place, they should be celebrated as part of the communities of Manchester."
He also highlighted that something often missed is that many asylum seekers spend years hiding their sexuality depending on their living situation, "because of fear and the way that others may respond to them in those spaces." Even after leaving their home country, he emphasised, people often "can't quite re-engage" with that part of themselves here and that is something we have to actively encourage, through supportive programmes such as those we have interviewed as part of this series.
Rob ended our conversation by returning to the idea of solidarity. There's strength, he suggested, in queer people actively standing together and showing up for one another, both as individuals navigating their own journeys, as well as the importance as a collective community choosing to act together. "There is a time pressure to act together in solidarity," he said, "and that's probably the most powerful tool that we have."
Metropolitan Congregation of Manchester: Interview with Cat Lewis
Can you introduce yourself and the Metropolitan Congregation?
The Metropolitan Congregation was one of the first LGBT churches in the UK, founded in 1992 as a satellite of LA's Metropolitan Community Church, which was the world's first LGBT+ church, dating back to 1968. In 2013, the Metropolitan Community Church of Manchester joined the United Reformed Church, one of the first major denominations to approve same-sex marriage, in 2016.
Cat joined the church in 2017. Identifying as straight, she'd spent years without a church, not feeling at home at any non-LGBT friendly one. "My vicar was gay when I was growing up. He’s such a wonderful man and still a close friend. I grew up in a single-parent family, and he was so supportive to us. So as soon as the United Reformed Church approved same-sex marriage, I went looking for one to join. I found Metropolitan, which is part of Wilbraham St. Ninian’s URC in Chorlton and its mission fits with my beliefs."
Cat reflected on the importance of the church helping asylum seekers who are fleeing countries where it's illegal to be LGBT, a message that has been key to the overall mission of the church for 20-years. The head of the Metropolitan Congregation sadly passed away in October 2021, so Cat became an Elder and took over leading. She is now training to be a Lay Preacher.
How did your support for LGBT refugees and asylum seekers become central to the church's mission?
The mission first became central when members of the Metropolitan Congregation met LGBT asylum seekers in Manchester and discovered how little support they had. Cat has ensured the support continues, and in January 2022, was inspired by one asylum seeker called Ernest, to begin the Rainbow People Choir. Ernest, a refugee from Nigeria who remains heavily involved in the church, had his sexuality exposed on national tabloids in his country. He escaped before he could be imprisoned. Today he is training as a nurse in the NHS, having gained refugee status roughly four years ago. "He is a brilliant singer and now supports other LGBT people who are seeking asylum," Cat shared thoughtfully.
Most of the people the church now supports come from Nigeria, Tanzania, and Uganda, where, Cat explained, conditions for LGBT people remain horrendous. The support is practical as well as spiritual, including a programme of daily WhatsApp message passages, reflections, and prayers. The church also runs a welcome and wellbeing group twice monthly, providing hot meals and a place for people to get to know each other. Cat writes letters to be sent to the Home Office, confirming people's attendance and ultimately supporting their claims for Asylum. The Rainbow People Choir, is led by Alex Winnom, a trans musician who works closely across the local community.
"People find a lot of fulfilment, wellbeing, and community by singing together. That sense of community is what helps them feel at home here in Manchester."
Cat also reflected on some of the hardships that are shared by those who access support from the Metropolitan Congregation Church. "It's vital that people have somewhere that gives them support when they're being persecuted simply for how they were born and who they love. I’ve seen some people’s scars and terrible photos illustrating what they have suffered.” However, Cat also highlights the importance of always encouraging honesty and says she always tries hard to get to know those seeking asylum, saying, “It would be terrible if abuse of the system ever resulted in genuine LGBT people being refused asylum.”
How does the work of the church positively impact the local community around Chorlton?
One significant aspect of this support, Cat explained, is that people aren’t asked to prove or change their faith within the church. Many of the Tanzanian members have Muslim backgrounds. "There's no judgment around people's faith in how we run our services. It's deeply personal, and everyone's spiritual journey is different. For some, their faith grows here. Others come mostly for community. But for everyone who's LGBT, it's refreshing to be somewhere that fully accepts them and reads the Bible differently."
"Once you've heard their stories, you understand why sanctuary matters." Many of those the church has supported now work in the NHS or in other care roles, she emphasises how the support the church gives, has an overall positive impact for the community as a whole.
The Rainbow People Choir carries that same message. "What I'd love eventually is for us to perform to take our message to the wider community through song. It's about breaking down barriers, making sure everyone see asylum seekers as people with rich stories and much to give, rather than just labelling them as outsiders or worse."
Do you have a closing message to share for Pride Month or Refugee Week?
Cat closed the interview with an inspiring message that speaks to the church’s LGBT lens of reading the bible as well as being good supportive people to those who need it. "We are God's rainbow people. Reading the Gospels, it's obvious to me Jesus's love was totally inclusive and that's what he was representing. The more I learn about Christianity, the more I believe in our church’s mission."