The Halifax Pride Festival is, perhaps, best known for its celebratory parade. However, despite the festive feel to the event, the LGBTQ community still faces many hurdles in gaining acceptance.
Halifax Pride Festival put the spotlight on LGBTQ asylum seekers with a film screening at Pier 21 Tuesday evening.
In the film ‘Last Chance’, Paul Emile d'Entremont profiles five LGBTQ people who are fleeing their home countries and seeking asylum in Canada
“I wanted to go where homophobia was the worst,” says d’Entremont. “There are, you know, thousands and thousands, probably hundreds of thousands of gays and lesbians who are suffering.”
The film was shown at Pier 21 as part of Halifax Pride. Marie Chapman is the CEO of the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 and says the location is fitting.
“I believe that this country is very accepting of difference, and it honours peoples' rights and their human rights and their humanity,” says Chapman.
Canada has long been known as a safe haven for LGBTQ people from around the world. Today, there are 82 countries where being gay is a criminal offence, and in 8 of those nations it is punishable by death.
“I feel quite strongly that getting as many refugees to Canada as possible, in whatever way possible, is really important work,” says Emilie Coyle, a lawyer who volunteers for the Rainbow Refugees Association of Nova Scotia.
Those hoping to claim refugee status must first leave their country of birth, which can be a difficult procedure.
“Let's say for women in Iran, it would be particularly difficult because, in Iran, women have to travel with a male family member or friend,” says Coyle.
People from Jamaica face another set of challenges.
“You need a visa, a visitor visa,” says d'Entremont. “In order to get a visitor visa you have to prove to consular authorities, to the Canadian government, basically that you're not going to make a refugee claim.”
Once they've arrived in Canada, asylum seekers have to prove they've been persecuted.
“You would go in front of the Immigration and Refugee Board and you would have to present them with a number of items of evidence that prove that you are gay,” says Coyle.
D'Entremont says, while Canada is done a lot of good, there is still work to be done.
“Canada has a good reputation, a very good reputation I think, for accepting refugees but the process is difficult, there's no doubt about it,” says d'Entremont.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Sarah Ritchie
