Listen to stories from LGBT+ people who have found safety in Scotland.
On World Refugee Day 2024, Scottish Refugee Council joined forces with Our Story Scotland and Scottish Council on Archives, alongside LGBT Unity and Africa Global LGBT Project, to deliver a workshop supporting LGBT+ people who have fled their homes to preserve their stories in Scotland’s local archives.
In a participative workshop led by Our Story Scotland, participants learned about oral history, mapping and storytelling techniques and took part in a group oral history interview to be preserved by the National Library of Scotland.
Listen to a clip from our group oral history interview.
Our Storytelling Officer Chris Afuakwah helped to organise the event:
“At a time when refugee rights, trans rights and queer rights generally feel like they are teetering on a cliff-edge, to varying degrees, it was so important to take a moment to document people’s stories for future generations. To remind the historians of 20/50/100 years time, to remind the policymakers in people’s home countries and here in the UK who are so against us – that we have always been here, and we have always been everywhere, and we’re not going anywhere. Queerness, like migration, is a fact of life.”
Kaukab Stewart, Equalities Minister:
“Refugees have helped make Scotland the successful and diverse country it is today for many generations. On World Refugee Day we celebrate the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution.
We know that some of those who seek safety in Scotland do so because of their LGBTQI+ identity, and we know that this community can face particular challenges. The stories of the LGBTQI+ refugee community – their need for protection, seeking asylum, settling in Scotland and becoming part of our communities – are an important part of our history and should be recognised and shared with generations to come.”
Listen to more recordings collected during the workshop. (scroll to the bottom of the page!)
Read further reflections on the workshop.
Images: Cameron Speirs.
