What works to support LGBTQ refugees?
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Evidence Summary
May 2022
This document summarizes the state of available evidence regarding practices and programs for LGBTQ refugees. Understanding what works to address the needs of this population is important because LGBTQ refugees often lack the support networks that other refugees rely on. They must also navigate the isolation they face within their own ethnic or national communities. As such, LGBTQ refugees need a community responsive to their concerns and committed to cultivating social and economic opportunities that will facilitate their integration.[1]
What is meant by “LGBTQ refugees”?
In this document, “LGBTQ refugees” refers to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer/questioning individuals who are eligible for benefits and services funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement by virtue of their immigration status in the United States (this excludes asylum-seekers).
[1] Heartland Alliance (2015). Rainbow response: A practical guide to resettling LGBT refugees and asylees.
Search Protocol
Studies included in the database focused on high-income or upper middle-income countries, including but not limited to the United States. Studies included must have been published since 2000. To identify evidence, we searched the following websites and databases using the following population, methodology, and target intervention terms:
Websites and Databases |
Population Terms |
Methodology Terms |
Target Intervention Terms |
PubMed ASSIA Social Services Abstracts Social Work Abstracts PsycInfo Google Scholar
|
(refugee OR immigrant OR “unaccompanied minor” OR asylee OR “temporary protected status” OR “victims of traffick*” OR “traffick* victims” OR T-Visa OR U-Visa OR Cuban OR Haitian OR Amerasian) AND (LGB* OR LGBTQ OR lesbian OR gay OR “sexual orientation” OR “gender identity” OR SOGI OR transgender OR queer) |
evaluation OR impact OR program OR intervention OR policy OR Project OR train* OR therapy OR treatment OR counseling OR workshop OR review OR meta-analysis OR synthesis |
N/A |
For databases or websites that permitted only basic searches, free-text terms and limited term combinations were selected out of the lists above, and all resultant studies were reviewed for relevance. Conversely, for databases or websites with advanced search capability, we made use of relevant filters available. All search terms were searched in the title and abstract fields only in order to exclude studies that made only passing mention of the topic under consideration.
After initial screening, Switchboard evidence mapping is prioritized as follows: First priority is given to meta-analyses and systematic reviews, followed by individual impact evaluations when no meta-analyses or systematic reviews are available. Evaluations that are rated as impact evidence are considered before those rated as suggestive, with the latter only being included for outcomes where no evidence is available from the former.
Relevant Study | Type of Study | Strength of Evidence | Direction of Evidence |
Serving LGBTQ immigrants and building welcoming communities | Suggestive evidence | Suggestive | No evidence about impact |
Rainbow Response: A practical guide to resettling LGBT refugees and asylees. | Suggestive evidence | Suggestive | No evidence about impact |
To best support LGBTQ immigrant newcomers: Community dialogue participatory recommendation report. | Suggestive evidence | Suggestive | No evidence about impact |
Benefits for immigrant-origin and nonimmigrant-origin youth of discussing immigration in gender and sexuality alliances | Suggestive evidence | Suggestive | Positive impact |