Calgary LGBTQ+ Refugee Centre

Providing support for LGBTQ+ Asylum Seekers and Refugees settling in Calgary

The Calgary LGBTQ+ Refugee Centre provides one-to-one support for LGBTQ+ refugees in Calgary, providing services directly or, if we cannot provide the service, through referrals to other community and service organizations that can provide the requested service. Our focus will be on helping you obtain services and support to get you resettled in Calgary.

Hours of operation by appointment:
Monday – Friday, 10 am – 5 pm

Please note: Appointments will be held virtually at this time. If you require an in-person appointment, please email elliot@endoftherainbow.ca to make arrangements.

For immediate after-hours assistance, please contact the Calgary Distress Centre at (403) 266-4357.

It has been formed with the generous support of the Chinook Lesbian and Gay Fund, the Calgary Foundation, and the United Way.

Getting Started with my Immigration and Refugee Hearing

Your first step should be to get connected to a lawyer. If you cannot afford a lawyer, then we recommend that you apply to Legal Aid Alberta.

The End of the Rainbow Foundation cannot provide any legal advice to you. We can, however, educate you on some key concepts that our past refugees have had to address in their hearings and on where to find information. Start by talking to a lawyer.

Make sure that you review how to apply for asylum in Canada, and review the Immigration and Refugee Board Website. It is important to focus on these key concepts:

• As a member of the SOGIESC community, you should be familiar with the following guidelines before you prepare for your case. Speak to your lawyer, but you should not have to prove that you are LGBTQ+. Guideline #9: Proceedings Before the IRB Involving Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics
• Speak to your lawyer about credibility and being a witness in your own case. Credibility in the IRB Hearing process is extremely important.
• We do recommend that you spend time outlining the nexus (connection) of your persecution in relation to membership in the cultural social group related to sexual orientation. Focus on the evidence in your case and bring all the evidence that you have to your lawyer.
• We recommend that you try to emphasize not the sexual orientation per se, but rather any evidence you may have that connects your sexual orientation to the persecution you have already faced, and the fears that you may have upon your return to your country of origin. The evidence you have is extremely important.
• We recommend that you speak to your lawyer about the law and related events in your own community and country, including neighbourhood and non-state actors, and their acts of discrimination and persecution, especially related to you.
• Speak to your lawyer about why you cannot live anywhere in your country of origin and must remain in a safe country.
• Your lawyer can also discuss the difference between discrimination and persecution. An act of discrimination committed against you is likely not persecution. Sometimes you may have to work with your lawyer to outline cumulative discrimination amounting to persecution, but it is important to outline each act of discrimination and present any evidence that you might have related to this context. Follow your lawyer’s advice about this.

Your application for asylum is not guaranteed to be successful, and we recommend that you seek help from your lawyer and focus on the concept that you can find on the Immigration and Refugee Board Website. The above information is not advice about your case and is merely meant to help start the process of learning about the IRB and the hearing process. It is your responsibility to learn about the process, gather all the evidence for your case, and submit it to your lawyer.

We also want to be honest with you about applying for asylum and waiting for your case to be processed. Please read about the hard reality of applying and waiting before getting started.

The End of the Rainbow Foundation does not write letters of reference or attestation about your LGBTQ+ status or membership in any support group at the foundation. Sometimes we may write a letter to your lawyer about evidence we may find with you, but your lawyer will need to speak to us directly about your case before we can do this. We will not guarantee letter or witness statements to anyone.