Help a Yemeni LGBTQIA Couple Reach Safety.

Adeem and Rami (pseudonyms) are a gay couple from Yemen, where homosexuality is illegal in

accordance with Yemen’s legal system (Shari’a law) and is punishable by death. Their story begins with a friendship that turned into a romance. When their families discovered their relationship, they were ambushed by loaded guns held to their heads. Luckily Adeem and Rami did not lose their lives, but after the incident, Adeem’s family imprisoned him in a storeroom for two months.

Rami was able to release Adeem and the couple escaped to Aden, located in southern Yemen. But Adeem's family reported him to the Houthi militant group occupying the area for being an atheist and homosexual, which are both illegal identities in Yemen. When Adeem did not turn himself in, his family also reported Rami. Rami received a message from the army stating that he had been reported as a Houthi spy, causing the couple to flee to Egypt for their safety in 2021.

After arriving in Egypt, they found the conditions almost worse than in Yemen due to experiencing racism and homophobia from the local community and police. They cannot study, open a bank account, or legally work, meaning they have no prospects for their future. They are at constant risk of being arrested, with a series of LGBTQIA+ targeted arrests being incited recently throughout Egypt.

Since moving to Egypt, the couple was hacked online, and an individual claiming to be from the Yemeni Intelligence shared their locations with their families. Following this, the couple moved to another apartment out of fear. In this new apartment, the security guard began harassing them and sent his friend to beat Adeem and Rami after denying his sexual advances. The security guard still works at their building, and the couple fears that he may attack them again. The couple could not report the attack to the police and have not received assistance from any aid organization despite their appeals.

In late January, Rami received a call from his uncle, who had abused him as a child. With the call being made to Rami’s Egyptian number, the couple now fear that they will be found by their families, the Egyptian authorities, and Yemeni factors. Since these events, Adeem and Rami have been afraid to leave their apartment and struggle to sleep, waking frequently to check the

doors are locked and fearing they will be exposed.

In Egypt, being arrested for homosexuality holds a penalty of 10 years imprisonment, after which the prisoners will be deported. For Adeem and Rami, this means they would be sent back to Yemen to be executed. Adeem and Rami applied through multiple embassies to seek asylum so that they could leave Egypt but were not accepted. This is because Yemeni nationals are not considered refugees in Egypt, meaning they are isolated from local and international aid. Their Yemeni nationality also restricts their movement to other countries, with the only accessible countries being Egypt, Sudan, Syria, and Lebanon; none of which are safe for LGBTQIA+ individuals.

Adeem and Rami live under constant physical and psychological fear of being exposed as LGBTQIA+ and facing imprisonment, abuse, and death. But they are not alone. We want to raise $10,000 to procure visas, flights, and essentials so the couple can safely move to Turkey, one of the few countries that provide visas to Yemeni nationals. Any amount donated will go directly towards Adeem and Rami seeking asylum and reclaiming their futures. We implore you to donate now towards this urgent matter and appreciate your support!

Funds raised will be managed by Jennifer Bailey (Co-founder of LGBTQIA+ rights organisation, Guardians of Equality Movement), and sent directly and in full to Adeem and Rami. Adeem and Rami's identities have been verified against UNHCR case files, should anyone have any further questions, Jennifer can be contacted through the GoFundMe "contact organiser" section.