In the estimation of some advocates, it is illegal or unsafe to be LGBTQ+ in more than 80 countries across the world. For decades, the U.S. has been a haven for queer and trans people trying to flee those nations. Federal law extends the status of refugee to anyone who has been persecuted or reasonably fears persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. Through two landmark cases in 1990 and 2000, the federal government established that sexual orientation and gender identity fall under the latter category.
Since then, immigration authorities have reliably approved the applications of displaced LGBTQ+ people in need of protection. But Donald Trump’s recent actions against immigrants and trans Americans are calling into question the future of the country’s role as a global sanctuary for queer and trans refugees, says Slate senior writer Christina Cauterucci . The administration has left stranded in dangerous countries people who were previously approved to come to the U.S. as refugees.
