Safe Harbor for LGBTQ+ Asylum Seekers

Welcoming our new neighbors with open arms

In the summer of 2022, Governors Greg Abbott of Texas and Ron DeSantis of Florida began inhumanely – and illegally – shipping asylum seekers from the southern border up to places like Washington DC, Martha’s Vineyard, and right here in New York City. As asylum seekers, these individuals are entitled to basic human dignity and access to services while their cases move through the immigration system. Yet, this act of political theater uses these human beings as pawns, separating families and sending innocent people off to parts unknown with no plan for support upon arrival. While the general cruelty of these actions takes center stage, what is often overlooked is the direct impact these violent decisions have on openly LGBTQ+ folks seeking asylum from oppressive regimes and countries where their identities are criminalized.

In September 2022, Stonewall Community Foundation got a call from Kate Barnhart, the Founder and Director of  Stonewall grantee partner, New Alternatives for LGBT Homeless Youth, seeking emergency support. New Alts, an organization providing emergency shelter, food, and support services to queer youth in need, was seeing a massive influx of clients due to these governors’ decisions – sometimes up to five new asylum seekers each day. These individuals would often come directly to their West 40th Street offices right from the busses around the corner at Port Authority where they were dropped.

It is estimated that nearly 40% of all unhoused youth in NYC identify as LGBTQ+, often as a result of family rejection and discrimination. Though small, New Alts is well-known as a front-line organization often being the first place queer youth go when they need safety. While these new arrivals to our city are in desperate need of services, the influx has been overwhelming the limited resources organizations have to serve them. Kate expressed the dire need for $6,000 a month to offset the costs of opening their emergency overnight shelter and providing nutritious meals to up to ten additional clients each day, while staff works to find longer-term solutions.  

Stonewall’s staff and board immediately sprang into action, putting forth a grant of $6,000 from the new Mark L. Brandt Legacy Fund, which has support or LGBTQ+ immigrants as one of its primary goals. Additionally the Stonewall team reached out to our network of fund partners, offering them the chance to match the Brandt grant. With support from the Rachel & Alexia Korberg Fund, the David Beatty Fund, the Christopher & David Murray Fund, the Mobius Fund, and anonymous donors, we raised an additional $21,500, which will allow New Alternatives to continue their round-the-clock services and support for these displaced asylum seekers through February of 2023.

Stonewall is deeply grateful to our family of fund partners who step up when our community calls for help, to our grantee partners who know that we are here for them in moments of emergency, and to our supporters who enable us to continue fueling lifesaving work. As this unnecessary crisis of cruelty persists, we remain committed to funding programs that provide safe harbor, dignity, and acceptance to LGBTQ+ individuals seeking a better life.