Join us to learn about the experiences and challenges faced by LGBTQ people who are fleeing from political persecution and violence in their home countries and are resettling in the United States. We will examine the roles that refugee resettlement agencies, as well as other organizations and community members, can play in supporting and welcoming people to their new home.
Our speakers are Deborah L. Billings, PhD and Dylan Gunnels. Billings has worked in the field of sexual and reproductive health and rights throughout the world for the last 30 years. She currently is a consultant and adjunct faculty in the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina.
Dylan Gunnels is a local activist, community builder, and entrepreneur who currently serves as the Refugee Services Coordinator for a local non-profit where he oversees job development and economic stimulus for the refugee/immigrant population in Columbia.
You will leave with a new understanding of the processes people encounter to gain refugee or asylee status in the United States and how sexual identities shape people's experiences of resettlement. We look forward to a dynamic conversation.