Hey there,

With your support last year, we were able to keep our friend Amira safe from unsafe housing and forced detransition while seeking asylum. Thanks to your enormous generosity Amira was able to go to her Home Office interview armed with the top-notch legal advice that helped her secure her refugee status.

Unfortunately, not everybody facing their Home Office interview is as lucky to have had the amazing support that Amira had. On the same day you all same to down to The Old Coal Yard to help us keep Amira safe, another trans woman and asylum seeker, Zaya, was finding sanctuary in the North East.

Asylum seekers in the UK are entitled to legal aid to help them prepare their cases. In reality, demand for legal aid far outstrips supply. Zaya was eventually able to obtain a lawyer, but not before her substantive Home Office interview. Forced to go to her interview without legal aid, Zaya’s claim was denied as they did not believe she was transgender. This means she risks facing deportation to Saudi Arabia unless her original decision is successfully appealed.

Contesting the grounds of her refusal means proving to a tribunal that she is transgender. We’ve been communicating with Zaya’s lawyer to figure out how we can help her appeal, and we’ve identified that one of the best things that we can do is to help Zaya obtain medical and diagnostic evidence to prove her trans status.

Zaya’s life and freedom would be at great risk if she were deported to Saudi Arabia. Zaya has already been arrested twice in her home country for breaking Saudi Arabia’s strict dress codes.

As a mutual aid collective for trans and non-binary people, Big Gay Fund is passionate about helping the asylum seekers in our community, as we recognise the uniquely difficult intersection of being both trans and an asylum seeker in the UK.

As many of you will be aware, Gender Identity Clinic waitlists are so long that Zaya will not be seen by the NHS before her appeal date. This means our only option is to pursue private healthcare options, and this means asking for your help.

The unfortunate reality is that even some of the private services for trans people have substantial waitlists. This is time that Zaya does not have. This means that we are forced to look the premium end of the private market for diagnostic and medical evidence. The goal that we’ve set reflects the estimated costs of obtaining diagnoses, blood tests, letters from clinicians and the other associated costs that come with signing onto a more premium service.

We will keep you updated on Zaya’s journey and let you know how her appeal case progresses.

Amira is safe, living as herself, and enjoying her life with her friends in the North East without fear of deportation or persecution thanks to your support. Please, if you can, help us give Zaya that same chance.

If you'd like to get in contact or follow along we're at @big_gay_fund on Instagram. Stay tuned for updates on Zaya's case and everybody else who we're currently supporting.

Thank you,

Big Gay Fund