LGBTQ-perspectives on poverty

How does poverty affect lgbtq-people around the world? And what does poverty involve? RFSL took on world poverty in 45 minutes in Pride House today.

Being poor doesn't have anything to do with money, Karin Lenke and Mathilda Piel from RFSL told us during one of the first seminars in Pride House this year. With a pedagogic drawing, starting with a few strokes on a flipchart and ending in a gigantic spiderweb, they explained to the audience in the Klara movie theatre how different factors like ill-health, discrimination, violence and the financial crisis; each and every one as well as together, deprives people of the possibility to influence their lives.

In many cases when lgbtq-people are affected by poverty this can be connected to their lgbtq-identity. For example, it is more probable that you are poor if you are on sick leave than if you are working. If you on top of that get discriminated because of your sexual orientation or identity when you seek medical care, and therefor hesitate to see a doctor, then you run a great risk of finding yourself in lack of social support.

Who will take care of you when you are ill?

In developing countries without functioning wellfare family is often the only safety you have. Coming out as a lgbtq-person and having your family dissociate themselves from you can have devestating consequences. Who will pay for your education when your family doesn't want to any longer? Who will take care of you and support you if you are ill?

The poor lgbtq-person

RFSL is trying to get a lgbtq-perspective into all human rights work and the fight against poverty.

- We don't see enough images of lgbtq-people in poor countries in the west, said Mathilda Piehl. Such images would probably differentiate from the image of the healthy, prosperous gay man shown in series as Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, that has become somewhat the western mainstream image of a typical lgbtq-person.

Same-sex acts are criminalized in more than 85 countries today, but even so there are flourishing lgbtq-movements in practically all countries. Using raised money RFSL supports these organizations, for example helping them to apply for funds from Swedish aid organizations.

Take an active part!

Would you like to take an active part in the fight for lgbtq-people's rights internationally? In that case we recommend the international activist workshop in Pride House at 15.15 on Tuesday.