This month, ORAM worked with activist, consultant, and LGBTIQ leader Enrique Torre Molina in Mexico City to provide trainings to refugee shelter staff and paralegals across Mexico. The main objective was to share tools and information to reduce the isolation LGBTIQ people experience in refugee and migrant shelters and to provide staff with the knowledge to meet the unique challenges of this vulnerable population.
Pictured: Enrique Torre Molina (activist, consultant, and LGBTIQ leader) who conducted trainings for UNHCR Mexico staff, paralegals, and other refugee shelter staff across Mexico on behalf of ORAM.
Enrique led the four one-hour-long sessions every Monday from August 1st to August 22nd. The participants were staff members at refugee and migrant shelters that are a part of UNHCR's network of partner organizations throughout Mexico. While most attendees were from border cities or Mexico City, there were people on the Zoom calls from many communities throughout the country.
Each session had 20 to 25 people in attendance, with strong audience participation and engagement throughout. "They were pretty active with questions and sharing insights from their work at the end of each session," he reported upon completing the last training.
The four sessions each had a specific topic unique to the LGBTIQ communities' lived experiences. Session one provided an introduction that included information on LGBTIQ identities, basic sexual orientation and gender identity/expression (SOGIE) terminology, pronouns, and allyship.
During the second session, Enrique shared common myths and stereotypes, microaggressions, drivers of social change, and obstacles to advancing human rights. He also shared some experiences LGBTIQ people can face growing up and how those experiences shape different aspects of their lives and impact their mental health.
The third session provided a landscape of LGBTIQ rights globally, with a particular emphasis on Mexico, Central America, and Caribbean countries where most of the LGBTIQ refugees in Mexico are coming from. During this session, the trainees learned about the concept of "LGBTIQ pride" and the history of pride marches and pride flags.
Pictured: A map of sexual orientation laws in the world as of December 2020 published by ILGA World (the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association).
In the final session, Enrique shared about the particular vulnerabilities of LGBTIQ refugees, obstacles to accessing refugee status, and the need for protection and creating safe spaces. He also shared the names of different LGBTIQ organizations and shelters the participants could connect with in cities throughout the country.
He believes collaboration with local LGBTIQ organizations, including religious and faith groups that do not discriminate based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression, is one way to better work with and support LGBTIQ refugees living in Mexico. There are many other ways to work towards this goal, including showing compassion and kindness, facilitating shelter support groups, and sharing information on sexual and gender diversity.
When asked about conducting the four trainings in August, Enrique shared they were "good, fun, and very interesting. I enjoy conducting these trainings," Enrique told us.
The process has also enabled him to continue to learn and adapt his trainings based on his interactions with the shelter staff themselves. "Each group of participants is different, and they always have new questions and insights to share that challenge what I think or know. It pushes me to learn more, revise my previously held opinions and positions, and revisit the content of future workshops."
Thank you, Enrique, for facilitating these critical trainings for UNHCR Mexico staff members and refugee shelter staff throughout Mexico!