Transgender asylum seekers find hope through SF LGBT Asylum Project

[Lori Dee]

Transgender asylum seekers find hope through SF LGBT Asylum Project
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CBS Bay Area News - Jose Martinez
Updated on: September 30, 2024 / 5:00 PM PDT / CBS San Francisco

Thousands of transgender individuals are seeking asylum in the United States, fleeing countries where being themselves can mean persecution or even violence. A Bay Area organization is making it possible for them to find safety and acceptance.

Kiki Lopez, a transgender woman from the Philippines, has moved to San Francisco and is now seeking asylum in the United States.

Lopez is one of thousands of transgender individuals who have filed for asylum in the United States, fleeing countries where being queer or transgender puts their lives at risk.

Lopez sought the help of the LGBT Asylum Project, a nonprofit based in San Francisco's Castro district, which has been supporting LGBT asylum seekers like Kiki since 2015.

The organization provides free legal assistance to immigrants fleeing persecution due to their sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status.

The nonprofit primarily assists asylum seekers from countries like Russia, Brazil, the Philippines, and parts of the Middle East. To date, the LGBT Asylum Project has successfully helped more than 150 individuals secure asylum in the United States.

Led by a team of attorneys, including Gervy John Tesoro, the organization is the only nonprofit in San Francisco exclusively dedicated to this cause.

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