Articles

‘I Had the Feeling I Had the Rehearsal With You’. Autoethnographic Reflections on Preparing Applicants for their Asylum Interview Within LGBTIQ+ Organisations

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Abstract

To receive international protection, people with diverse sexualities and genders are required to produce a narrative about their sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) and their fear of persecution that is found credible by the asylum authorities. While the use of Western stereotypes during the asylum assessment has extensively been researched, little attention has been paid to the support groups that applicants turn to before their asylum interview. In light of my research on SOGI in the Belgian asylum procedure, I volunteered with two LGBTIQ+ organisations that offer support to LGBTIQ+ applicants in preparation of their asylum interview. Using an autoethnographic approach, this article reveals the ambiguity of support groups’ solidarity practices. I outline some of the tensions experienced while navigating individual support and structural violences, which in turn reveal how some of these structures might be (re)produced. 

Keywords: SOGI refugee, LGBTIQ+ organisation, support, asylum interview

How to Cite:

Casteleyn, L., (2024) “‘I Had the Feeling I Had the Rehearsal With You’. Autoethnographic Reflections on Preparing Applicants for their Asylum Interview Within LGBTIQ+ Organisations”, DiGeSt - Journal of Diversity and Gender Studies 11(2), 15-32. doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/digest.90125