Creating safe and welcoming communities for 2SLGBTQ+ newcomers

For many refugees to Canada, the transition to a new country with different rules and customs can be difficult. But for 2SLGBTQ+ folks seeking asylum from countries where their sexual or gender identities is a crime, the move may be even more isolating. The Pride Centre is working to change that by creating a welcoming, caring space where 2SLGBTQ+ newcomers can find a home away from home.

Imma* recalls the moment her life in Edmonton changed as she stood in line at Canada Place with her asylum application in hand. She had fled her home country five months before and knew only one other person in the whole country.

“I spent most of my time at home with nowhere to go, nobody to talk to or associate with. I was getting bored and depressed. I even wondered, ‘Why did I come to this country?’”

A man stood in line alongside her and as they waited, they started to talk. They exchanged stories of home and how they had come to be in this line halfway around the world.

Imma was eight or nine when she realized she was attracted to girls as well as boys. As she grew older, her relationships with women had to stay secret. Each relationship put her at risk of a prison sentence. She got married, started a successful company, she got divorced, and she fell in love. Until one day, a male ex-partner grew suspicious of who she loved and set her up with a woman. It was a trap, and he shared the ill-gotten video evidence with police.

“It meant a fourteen year prison sentence at least,” Imma recalls. So she ran. For months she moved to different cities until finally she received word that she could come to Canada.

“I have always loved Canada and chose to come here because I believed the system did not discriminate and it would be safe for me to live here, where I would be free to express myself and feelings. I really wanted to begin a new chapter of my life free from discrimination and hate,” Imma says.

She arrived in May, but it wasn’t until winter was setting in — alongside a deep loneliness — that she found herself in line at Canada Place besides a fellow asylum seeker.

He asked her if she knew about The Pride Centre of Edmonton. He said there were people there who helped 2SLGBTQ+ newcomers settle in Canada.

The Pride Centre is a recent addition to United Way’s funded partner network. Our Front-Line Agency Funding has helped The Pride Centre support a growing demographic of refugee and newcomer participants in the Josh Brown Wellness Program.

When she first walked up the stairs of The Pride Centre, Imma had no idea what she would find.

“There was food to eat. I was given a bus pass. There were clothes to take—I didn’t have many!” Imma remembers. “I was like, ‘Wow.’ Everyone was so kind. I felt loved and for the first time in a long time, my mind was calm.”

Perhaps even more surprising to her was who she saw. “I saw a lot of people from my home country, and I was like, ‘Oh wow. I didn’t know this place existed.’”

For the first time in her life, she was surrounded by people who understood her situation. And for the first time in this new country, she felt at home.

The Josh Brown Wellness Program’s bus pass opened many doors to exploring the city. The program connected her to a counselor as well as Legal Aid which helped her affordably prepare for her asylum hearing (officially known as a Refugee Protection Division Hearing). They also connected her to other local agencies where Imma accessed food and job training. Imma took a forklift course as well as first aid, which helped her to find a job in the health care sector.

It’s been two years since Imma first set foot in Canada. Through The Pride Centre, she has made many friends from all over the world. They meet often, holding picnics in local parks and laughing over buffets.

“At times I ask if Canada time is different. It feels like it runs faster!” Imma laughs. She has a full-time job, an apartment of her own, and is in the final stages of applying for permanent residency. Yet she still comes around the Pride Centre if she needs help navigating life.

Sitting in the light coming through The Pride Centre’s south windows, Imma reflects, “Once you come here, you feel at home.” She smiles, a shelf of books free for the taking are stacked behind her. “So while I’m missing my family back home–I’ve found a family here.”

Advancing equity is woven into everything United Way does. ​We recognize that systemic barriers and discrimination create inequities that must be addressed. Our most recent granting process focused on addressing the needs of underserved equity-deserving communities to maximize our impact in the community. ​

*Names have been changed to protect their identity.