Finding connection and support through RRANS
Aseer is a mid-twenties writer/poet and LGBTQI newcomer from Afghanistan who connected with RRANS in the spring after Rainbow Railroad facilitated his move first to a safe-house in Pakistan, and then to Canada. He has a thick head of hair, is wearing a graphic T-shirt, and sports many tattoos. He makes a joke that he’s lost his sideburns since coming to Canada and shows proof of their existence before this big move.
Canada had been a dream of his since childhood, but coming to Canada because you choose to, and coming to Canada as a refugee during a global pandemic is a very different experience. Aseer was feeling isolated without his community around him, so a friend of his who lives in America googled organizations in Halifax that might offer some community, and directed him to RRANS. RRANS offered paths for Aseer to access community and support through Andrea, one of our Settlement Coordinators.
“I connected with RRANS my second week in Canada. Andrea and I first met for a coffee at Glitter Bean. We talked for more than an hour and I found her really kind. From that day, she helped me a lot. Like anytime I needed someone I would call her or text her. I have had a very good experience with RRANS.”
-Aseer
RRANS is the only registered non-profit society dedicated to LGBTQI+ refugee resettlement and support in Atlantic Canada. Our mission is to make possible LGBTQI+ refugee resettlement and support safer communities of belonging through advocacy, education and sponsorship. This past year we directly sponsored six LGBTQI+ newcomers, but we supported and connected with many more including Aseer.
“Getting to know Asser, as well as other folks that I’ve met through RRANS, reminds me of our deep need for connection with each other. In the world of refugee resettlement, we hear a lot about shelter, cost of living and employment, which of course can be huge barriers for folks, but we sometimes forget that community and belonging are what give us hope and a sense of purpose. One of our goals at RRANS is to welcome people into a caring community, and to create spaces where people can feel safe and seen, so that all the barriers don’t seem so insurmountable.”
-Andrea, RRANS Settlement Coordinator
Back in Afghanistan, Aseer would host a weekly support group for LGBTQI+ people. He speaks passionately about the importance of self-acceptance and has supported many others in his community to find joy in their identities and still volunteers as a writer for the feminist organization he used to work for. He is still in contact with many people from that group who are seeking support in escaping the persecution LGBTQI+ people are currently facing in Afghanistan.
“We have lots of people from the community who are not able to accept themselves. They have fear. I had the same problem when I realized that I am trans in a society like Afghanistan. I know that I am a man. I can totally understand this. That is why I had the idea to make this group. They were like my family and I loved them a lot. I am working with one of them who I’m trying to help apply for support to move from Afghanistan. He is a trans man and is in big trouble over there. He is now locked in his house in hiding. I have lots of people from that group who really need help.”
-Aseer
Aseer has recently moved to Vancouver with two close friends who he met at the safe-house in Pakistan. It was a challenge to find work in Halifax and he had been missing his friends. “Nothing goes in life as I plan,” but this move to Vancouver will come with new opportunities.
Around the world, LGBTQI+ people face displacement, persecution, and violence based on their identities. Help RRANS support the 8 newcomers we hope to help resettle in the new year, and the many more who we will connect with along the way, like Aseer. Donate now to support RRANS continue this work: www.rainbowrefugeens.com/takeaction