For me and my husband, the most difficult time was when we tried to get a visa to come to Canada. We applied in November of 2015, but at the same time there was an influx of Syrian refugees coming to Canada so we needed to wait from November 2015 and we got our visa in February 2016. So, it was almost five months of waiting, which felt like five years. Then we came here. Actually the worst thing was the moment of waiting, but, thankfully, Rainbow Railroad, which is also part of our network, guided us on how to come here. Using our documentation, we had to show the Immigration and Refugee Board in Vancouver that we were coming here as a couple. We had our official letter and registrar, so in terms of documentation, it was not very hard for me. I am also the director of the Foundation of Hope, and I'm handling the grant committee services applications. Some of the applications were coming, and we actually got emails from Uganda and from Turkey asking for help. It seems to me that it would be better for all the assistance programs for LGBTQ refugees not to be focused on only one single country in the Middle East. It has to be done in terms of humanity and not by region.
On May 3rd, 2017. See this statement in context.