MAKING EDMONTON HIS HOME
Adebayo Katiti, 23, is a competitive swimmer, soccer player, and activist from Uganda who attends church and is working on becoming a life guard – and he is a transgender refugee. He is part of a rising group of refugee claimants in Canada based on gender or sexual orientation. According to Erick Ambtman of the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers (EMCN), “Over the past year we have seen a significant increase in the number of refugee claimants coming to EMCN for help. Historically, we would see one or no refugee claimants a month, now we see 10 or more, and approximately a third of them are seeking asylum because of their sexual orientation.” Canada was the first country to issue gender guidelines for refugees fearing gender-related persecution, setting a precedent for other countries. The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association’s (ILGA) report on State Sponsored Homophobia, released in May 2017, says that 72 states criminalize same-sex activity and the death penalty applies in eight countries. It is important to note that the report refers to ‘states’ rather than countries because in some countries local or regional ‘morality’ laws will be present. Uganda is one of these countries. According to the ILGA, Pride Week in Kampala, Uganda’s capital, was violent and many were arrested by the police – including Katiti. “Police raided a pride event I attended and I was arrested.” After arriving in Edmonton to compete in the International Gay and Lesbian Aquatics Championships, his picture was shown on Uganda TV, effectively outing him. “I got messages from my family saying that they would kill me.” That is when he decided to claim asylum in Canada. He was granted refugee status on Nov. 16, 2016 and is now considered a ‘protected person.’ His claim was successful because he had the emails from family as well as other documentation to show persecution. For many claimants in this category it is difficult to meet the burden of proof that they are fleeing from violence and human rights abuses on the basis of their sexual orientation. Often LGBTQ individuals have little proof because they fear persecution in their home country, so they have not told anyone their orientation, do not keep photos, and may have never ventured into a relationship. Since gaining refugee status Katiti says he has some mental health issues dealing with the threats from his family. “I have a sister that is bisexual that I worry about.” He also misses his mother, “I was very close to her. I worked around the house with her. I spent a lot of time with her.” Finances are also a concern. “You have to pay the costs associated with a refugee claim and you don’t have a work permit. You need to get where you need to go when you can’t get a transit pass. You have a small amount of money but you need to have food, clothes, basic necessities, getting that is hard to do. All of this brings more stress.” He now works as an attendant at one of the City’s recreation centres. He has also faced discrimination. “I was attacked (verbally) on the bus,” Katiti said. The incident concerned him because he felt there was nothing he could do about it; no charges could be laid. He has wariness toward police from his experiences in Uganda and then felt even more helpless that nothing could be done about the verbal altercation. He has also had difficulties with a roommate who told him ‘to go back to where he came from.’ Even with the help of a social worker, it has been difficult to find a place to live that he can afford and in which he feels safe. “I have moved a lot,” Katiti said, stating he would really like to find a place of his own. “Sharing doesn’t feel safe.” He says the racism he has experienced has been more about the colour of his skin than his gender, however. “There are a few racists. That could happen anywhere.” Even though he has experienced challenges, he says he still would have chosen Canada. “I received a lot of help. There are nice people in Canada and because of them I am still living,” he said. Katiti enjoys living in Edmonton and says he is settling in thanks to those who helped him. “I have a lot of help. I am surrounded by people from everywhere. I have friends that are queer, from my church, from the Mennonite Centre for Newcomers, work, people are all around me.” Katiti says eventually he wants to do something to help others like him and is working to organize a group he calls “Rights for All LGBTQI+” that will raise awareness of issues for those claiming refugee status on the basis of sexual orientation. It will help individuals gain access to rights and help them settle once they are here. He wants to reduce isolation. On his one-year anniversary of being in Canada his plan was to have a party to thank everyone who has helped him – a guest list that included 400 people. “Edmonton is home. Thank you to this city because of the opportunities I have seen.”