From fear to freedom: LGBTQ+ migrants seek safety in Germany

"The Russian police threatened to have me raped in prison," recounts 21-year-old Yusif Muradov. He had to flee Russia after authorities started cracking down on him for being openly queer.

As of 2024, 64 countries in the world criminalize homosexuality. In at least 10 countries like Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Iran, consensual same-sex acts can even lead to the death penalty. 

In several other countries, like Russia and India, same-sex relations are legally permitted, nevertheless LGBTQ+ people are still persecuted — leading to a de-facto illegality. 

Four openly queer people spoke to DW about why they had to leave their country and come to Germany to live their lives freely, out of the closet.

'Queer rights non-existent in Bangladesh' 

"My queer life began after I came to Germany," says 39-year-old Ziaul Haque. He moved from Bangladesh to Germany in the 2000s.

"I am happily married to a handsome man, but in many ways, we live just like other straight couples. We do chores and go to work. Sometimes, though we like to hang out in gay bars, or watch RuPaul's Drag Race with my gay friends. Then I realize: okay, I am gay," he says, bursting into laughter.

Haque's life was not as serene in Bangladesh: "I used to hide myself, as religious conservative groups were getting stronger each day. I had to get out of that country as I also feared for my family's safety."

"Homosexuality is criminalized under Section 377 of the Bangladesh Penal Code and punishable by imprisonment. This law is a remnant from the British colonial days and vastly used to arrest, harass and extort queers," Sadat Tasnim, a Bangladeshi rights activist, told DW.

"As a Muslim majority country, religious parties shape public sentiments, and queer folks receive little to no social acceptance," adds Tasnim.

Members of the LGBTQ+ community in Bangladesh have been targets of violent crimes.

In 2016, a series of gruesome murders of queer bloggers and activists rattled the country. Xulhaz Mannan, the founder of Bangladesh's first and only gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender magazine, and activist Tanay Mojumdar were hacked to death in an attack in the capital city, Dhaka.

"Since then, Bangladeshi queer stay in their own little discreet bubble," Tasnim concludes.

On top of facing abandonment by law enforcement and society, most queer individuals lose the support of their close ones. For Ziaul Haque, coming out led to a disastrous reaction from his family. His father even took him to a doctor to cure him of his sexual orientation.

"I dream of the day when my dad would say: Son, no matter who you are, we love you and want you to be happy," says Haque.

Labeled an 'extremist' for being gay: Yusif's story

Yusif Muradov, born in Azerbaijan and raised in conservative Moscow, fled to Europe at 21 to escape persecution. "I was targeted by the Russian government for volunteering in an NGO AIDS center for queer people who are HIV positive," he says.

Muradov attempted to leave Moscow several times after coming out to his family. "I had to move back as my mother kept threatening to kill herself. When I returned, I was sent to work and study with my brother, who monitored my every move," he adds.

"Once my brother got me drunk and forced me to sleep with a female prostitute. Thankfully, the lady saw I was desisting and lied to my brother about having done the deed," he painfully recounts. When he told his mother what had happened, she shrugged and said, "this is normal."

"This broke me, and I knew it was time to leave."

Leaving Russia became more urgent when the war started, as Muradov did not want to be drafted to fight against Ukraine. The final straw was when the Russian police searched his apartment and "threatened him with rape," he told DW.

In Germany, his life as an asylum seeker has been difficult, with Russian intelligence still pursuing him.

Some months ago, an anonymous report in Yusif's name was made to the prosecutor's office in Russia. The report outed him as an openly gay person who secretly donated to the opposition party, the one formerly led by late Alexei Navalny. "I was labeled an extremist, overnight," he says.

According to Muradov, the Russian secret service is notorious for such insidious reports.

Now living in a German refugee center, he shares a room with conservative refugees from Afghanistan and Iran. "I receive sexual threats and harassment every day from my roommates." Despite his hardships, he longs to return to Moscow: "I miss the city, my friends and my cat. I feel very homesick at times."

'Lebanon considers queer people as dangerous': Ali's story

"Lebanon does not only have no rights for queer people, they are even closing the few queer supportive establishments that we did have," says Ali Najjar, a 39-year-old queer activist from Lebanon, now living in Germany with his spouse.

In August 2023, two Lebanese officials proposed separate bills to explicitly criminalize same-sex relations between consenting adults and impose up to three years' imprisonment for anyone promoting homosexuality.

A series of hostile incidents against LGBTQ+ people have followed.  Lebanon recently imposed an unlawful ministerial ban on events related to homosexuality.

These attacks are occurring amid a severe economic crisis that has devastated human rights and driven over 80% of the population into poverty, particularly affecting marginalized groups. 

"The Lebanese society sees the queer community as a threat and danger. Religious parties have even attacked queer bars, events and organizations," points out Najjar.

Amid Lebanon's struggling economy, the younger generation promoting more tolerance and diversity is increasingly leaving the country in a huge wave of brain drain.

'In Chile legal to be queer but not safe': Dieter's story

"For those who are 'queer-passing,' as in cis-gendered queer people, who dress according to the gender assigned to them at birth, Chile is relatively safe," explains Dieter Ligueros Korsholm, a Chilean queer-rights activist based in Germany. Korsholm identifies as non-binary and dresses in androgynous clothing.

"I dress feminine; in Cologne, Germany, all I get are weird looks. Unlike in Chile, where people would yell at me or insult me in public," they point out. 

Same-sex acts are legal in Chile since 1999 and same-sex marriage was legalized in 2021, but LGBTQ+ people remain vulnerable to attacks.

One of the most prominent cases of homophobic violence is the murder of Daniel Zamudio, who in 2012 was beaten and burned for being gay. He was found dead in a park in Santiago, the capital city, with swastikas carved into his skin.

Fighting for human rights, around the world

LGBTQ+ refugees may find more freedom in Europe, but challenges persist, including a rise in hate crimes against sexual minorities in Germany.

As Cologne celebrates its three-day Christopher Street Day festival from July 19-21, culminating in one of Europe's largest pride parades on Sunday; Ziaul, Yusif, Dieter, and Ali plan to join the festivities without societal constraints.

"We must stick together, especially now," says Dieter, as they and thousands of others prepare to take to the streets to celebrate diversity, tolerance, acceptance, and anti-discrimination.

Edited by: Elizabeth Grenier