National
Guatemalan LGBTQ activist granted asylum in US
Estuardo Cifuentes fled country in 2019
The U.S. has granted asylum to a Guatemalan LGBTQ activist who fled his country in 2019.
Estuardo Cifuentes and his partner ran a digital marketing and advertising business in Guatemala City.
He previously told the Washington Blade that gang members extorted from them. Cifuentes said they closed their business after they attacked them.
Cifuentes told the Blade that Guatemalan police officers attacked him in front of their home when he tried to kiss his partner. Cifuentes said the officers tried to kidnap him and one of them shot at him. He told the Blade that authorities placed him under surveillance after the incident and private cars drove past his home.
Cifuentes arrived in Matamoros, a Mexican border city that is across the Rio Grande from Brownsville, Texas, in June 2019. He asked for asylum in the U.S. based on the persecution he suffered in Guatemala because of his sexual orientation.
The Trump administration forced Cifuentes to pursue his asylum case from Mexico under its Migrant Protection Protocols program that became known as the “remain in Mexico” policy.
Cifuentes while in Matamoros ran Rainbow Bridge Asylum Seekers, a program for LGBTQ asylum seekers and migrants that the Resource Center Matamoros, a group that provides assistance to asylum seekers and migrants in the Mexican border city, helped create.
The Biden-Harris administration in January 2021 suspended enrollment in MPP. Cifuentes entered the U.S. on March 3, 2021.
“We are profoundly relieved and grateful that my husband and I have been officially recognized as asylees in the United States,” Cifuentes told the Blade on Monday in an email. “This result marks the end of a long and painful fight against the persecution that we faced in Guatemala because of our sexual orientation.”
Vice President Kamala Harris is among those who have said discrimination and violence based on sexual orientation are among the root causes of migration from Guatemala and other countries in Central America.
Cifuentes is now the client services manager for Lawyers for Good Government’s Project CorazĆ³n, a campaign that works “hard to reunite and defend the rights of families impacted by inhumane immigration policies.” He told the Blade he will continue to help LGBTQ asylum seekers and migrants.
“In this new chapter of our lives, we pledge to work hard to support others in similar situations and to contribute to the broader fight for the rights and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ migrant community,” said Cifuentes. “We are hopeful that our story will serve as a call to action to confront and end persecution based on gender identity and sexual orientation.”
U.S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court declines to hear lawsuit against Montgomery County schools gender guidelines
4th Circuit last August dismissed parents’ case
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a lawsuit against Montgomery County Public Schools guidelines that allow schools to create plans in support of transgender or gender nonconfirming students without their parents’ knowledge or consent.
Three parents of students in the school district ā none of whom have trans or gender nonconfirming children ā filed the lawsuit.
A judge on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last August dismissed the case. The plaintiffs appealed the decision to the Supreme Court.
Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), and Sharice Davids (D-Kan.) reintroduced legislation to increase access to needed services and resources for LGBTQ seniors who live in rural areas this week.
The Elder Pride Act would bolster the capacity and ability of Area Agencies on Aging located in rural communities to better serve and support LGBTQ seniors who often require affirming care, services, and supports that are often underfunded and scarce in many parts of the country.
Recent surveys show that between 2.9 million and 3.8 million LGBTQ people live in rural American communities.
āLGBTQ+ elders and older people living with HIV live in every part of this nation, including rural areas. We all deserve to be able to age in our communities with the services and supports we need to remain independent,ā SAGE CEO Michael Adams said in the press release announcing the reintroduction of the legislation. āWe commend Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Mark Pocan (D-WI), and Sharice Davids (D-KS) on reintroducing the Elder Pride Act. And we honor the contributions of our many LGBTQ+ trailblazers whose tireless advocacy allowed us to reintroduce this critical bill. We look forward to working alongside Reps. Bonamici, Pocan, and Davids, and our LGBTQ+ pioneers nationwide to pass this legislation.ā
āLGBTQI+ seniors should be able to access services and care that meets their unique needs, regardless of where they live,ā said Bonamici, chair of the Equality Caucusās LGBTQ+ Aging Issues Task Force.āThose who live in rural areas frequently face increased barriers, which Congress can break down. The Elder Pride Act will increase resources for programs and services that will improve the lives of LGBTQI+ elders.ā
āThe Elder Pride Act will improve the overall health and social and economic well-being of LGBTQI+ older adults and seniors living with HIV in rural areas by better equipping senior service providers with resources to address the unique needs of these communities. Iām pleased to introduce this important legislation with my colleagues and co-leaders on the Equality Caucus, Reps. Pocan and Davids,ā Bonamici added.
āRural LGBTQI+ seniors have been lacking access to necessary services and care for too long,ā said Pocan, co-chair of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus. āThe Elder Pride Act creates opportunities for LGBTQ+ seniors in rural communities, benefiting everyone in the region. I look forward to advancing this important legislation.ā
āMany of our LGBTQ+ elders fought tirelessly for equality in a world that refused to accept their identity,ā said Davids. āWhile they overcame tremendous odds to give future generations the rights they deserve, our elders, particularly those in rural communities, continue to face discrimination when accessing long-term care and healthcare. I am proud to support the Elder Pride Act because who you are and who you love should never increase your risk for isolation, poverty, and poor health outcomes as you age.ā
The Elder Pride Act complements the Older American Act, which was updated under Bonamiciās leadership, by establishing a rural grant program designed to fund care and services for LGBTQ seniors. The grant would also support programs that:
ā¢ Provide services such as cultural competency training for service providers;
ā¢ Develop modes of connection between LGBTQI+ older adults and local service providers and community organizations;
ā¢ Expand the use of nondiscrimination policies and community spaces for older adults who are members of the LGBTQI+ community or another protected class; and,
ā¢ Disseminate resources on sexual health and aging for senior service providers.
A fact sheet on the legislation can be found here, and the full text can be found here.
State Department
State Department travel advisory warns of potential anti-LGBTQ violence
FBI issued similar warning this week
The State Department on Friday issued a worldwide travel advisory that warns of potential violence against LGBTQ people and LGBTQ-specific events.
“Due to the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations, or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests, the Department of State advises U.S. citizens overseas to exercise increased caution,” reads the advisory. “The Department of State is aware of the increased potential for foreign terrorist organization-inspired violence against LGBTQI+ persons and events and advises U.S. citizens overseas to exercise increased caution.”
The advisory further urges U.S. citizens to:
- Stay alert in locations frequented by tourists, including Pride celebrations and venues frequented by LGBTQI+ persons.
- Enroll in theĀ Smart Traveler Enrollment ProgramĀ (STEP)Ā to receive information and alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency overseas.
- Follow the Department of State onĀ FacebookĀ andĀ Twitter.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Homeland Security Investigations earlier this week issued a similar advisory.
The advisory notes June 12 will mark eight years since the massacre at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla.
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