Religion, Queerness, and Asylum: Redefining Narratives in the UK
A prevalent discourse in Western queer scholarship, politics, and NGOs has forged what’s known as a ‘homosecular’ framework. This term, introduced by Scherer in 2017, pertains to the expectation of secularism within the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community, often linking rights and acceptance to adherence to neoliberal values. As a consequence, many existing narratives around LGBT individuals, particularly refugees and asylum seekers, regularly revolve around this concept, leading to a certain expectation of how ‘authentic’ LGBT individuals should behave and identify.
Moreover, this ‘homosecular’ expectation can have significant impacts on the asylum process, with credible testimonies often expected to follow a narrative of escape—from oppressive religion and societies—towards the secular and LGBT-friendly UK. However, this approach to understanding and assessing LGBT asylum seekers overlooks the complexity and diversity within the LGBT community, including the significant role of religion and faith.
This critical gap in research and understanding serves as the focal point of a research study currently conducted at the University of Nottingham that explores the role of religion for LGBT refugees and asylum seekers in the UK and how it influences their asylum process. The study will take place between 2023 and 2026.
Homosecularism and the Asylum Process
The study will challenge the notion of ‘homosecularism’ in the asylum process, particularly the assumption that religion and non-normative genders and sexualities are incompatible forces. The British Home Office, for instance, often perceives religion as a sexually restrictive factor. As a result, disclosing religious beliefs can lead to the rejection of asylum claims for many LGBT individuals.
An objective of the research is to ascertain the role that religion and spirituality play in the lives of LGBT refugees and asylum seekers. The research will strive to understand how these individuals negotiate their faith with their gender and sexual identities and how this can lead to the emergence of queer religious spaces.
The study will also examine the impact that the religion and spirituality of LGBT refugees and asylum seekers have on the UK’s Home Office’s management of asylum claims. What are the expectations and presumptions of Home Office staff regarding LGBT ‘authentic’ identities? (How) do the religion, faith and spirituality of LGBT asylum seekers impact their applications?
Methodology
The study will employ a multi-method design. It will include document analysis of primary and secondary sources, including Home Office interview transcripts and legislation. The researcher will conduct semi-structured in-depth interviews with charity workers, solicitors, and other allies such as religious leaders, and sessions with LGBTIQ+ refugees and asylum seekers. Additionally, “A Day in the Life” sessions will be conducted, shadowing participants through a typical day in their lives to understand their lived experiences.
Further data will be gathered through participant observation of events and interviews with stakeholders linked to refugees and asylum seekers. The researcher will also conduct focus group discussions, allowing a more in-depth understanding of the experiences of LGBTIQ+ refugees and asylum seekers.
By taking a participatory approach, the research aims to co-create with participants, giving them active roles in the implementation and analysis of the study.
You can get in touch with Diego Garcia, the researcher leading this project, on the phone (07923232006) or by e-mail ([email protected])
Conclusion
The research will advance a framework conceptualising queer religious agency as an alternative to epistemologies grounding queer emancipatory discourses on secularity alone. The study will provide a nuanced and holistic perspective on the lives of LGBT refugees and asylum seekers, challenging existing assumptions, and redefining the narrative around queer identities and the asylum process in the UK to produce recommendations to the Home Office by engaging with activists and decision-makers.
https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/icemic/research/too-religious-to-be-queer.aspx
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