Journey of LGBTQ+ Refugees: From Persecution to Empowerment

Born and raised in the Middle East, Norma Lize (she/her) started her advocacy with the LGBTQ+ community in Southwest Asia and North Africa region (SWANA) before fleeing to Vancouver in December 2018 to escape persecution because of her gender identity. This is her story:

“All I was thinking about was I just wanted to be safe, honestly, and to express my gender identity without being afraid all the time. To live my life just like everyone else.

I learned that we as individuals create our own safety. I did my best to create my own safe spaces, my own bubbles, and chosen families in the heart of Vancouver’s gay village, Davie Street. Saying I want to be safe is a good place to start but within two weeks of arriving in Canada, I experienced harassment and transphobia on the street.

The image of Canada is supportive of the LGBTQ+ community as well as refugees, but we don’t talk about racism in Canada. There is tons of racism and homophobia. Yes, Canada is safer than a lot of other countries but now that you’re here, good luck finding a job without Canadian experience, good luck finding affordable housing, your tribe and people you can identify with, good luck changing your name, and having travel documents as a refugee.

When I first got to Canada it took me 5 months to get a working permit, so I had to be on welfare and it was just not enough for me to pay my rent, eat, and transition at the same time.”

Norma Lize’s first Canadian job was in finance before moving to Rainbow Refugee in 2020, a non-profit organization in Vancouver with the mission to promote equitable migration and communities of belonging for anyone who is fleeing from persecution due to gender identity, gender expression, sexuality, sex characteristic, and HIV status. Norma Lize has won multiple awards for her work with LGBTQ+ refugees including the January Marie Lapuz award — named after January Marie Lapuz, a transgender Filipina woman who was murdered in New Westminster in 2012.

“While there is a lot to work on, I don’t want to sound like I am not grateful for the things I was able to accomplish here. I was able to transition, I was able to physically and medically live the life I have always dreamed of, I was able to connect with people I never imagined I would be able to connect with and I was able to find love.

Also, the nature in Vancouver is stunning. Every time I go on a road trip or to a different location in British Columbia, I am amazed by how beautiful this country is. It reminds me of how small we are, and all the problems we go through are nothing compared to nature and all the blessings this planet and this country has to offer.”

In 2019, Norma Lize marched in her first pride parade, “To see thousands of people I don’t know, and I will probably never meet in my life again just there to show support and solidarity… Just walking and absorbing all the love and realizing life is good, it’s a good feeling. If you want to be open, if you want to show love and support, you can do it, it’s not hard.

The one message I want to give to refugees reading this: don’t lose hope, there is always a way to get where you want to be. Don’t give up.”