'They like you to pretend to be something you are not' : an exploration of working with the intersections of gender, sexuality, 'race', religion and 'refugeeness', through the experience of Lesbian Immigration Support Group (LISG) members and volunteers

This chapter looks at the intersections of gender, sexuality, ‘race’, religion and ‘refugeeness’. By drawing on research conducted with members of the Lesbian Immigration Support Group (LISG) in Manchester, it discusses current issues faced by bisexual women and lesbians when they are seeking sanctuary in the UK. ‘Proving’ sexuality lies at the heart of the matter, with the majority of cases refused on credibility i.e. that the claimant is not believed to be a lesbian. The chapter argues that bringing ‘refugeeness’ into intersectional analysis challenges the concept of intersectionality in particular ways