You Are not Alone! Experiences of LGBTQ+ Migrants in the UK during Covid-19 Lockdown. A Minority Stress Perspective

UK-based research has raised concerns about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on vulnerable individuals’ psychological wellbeing. Further European studies showed that the lockdown has exacerbated the social isolation of migrants who force-migrate from their country of origin due to well-founded fear of persecution on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The post-migration issues of exclusion and isolation are not new to this population, resulting from the intersecting stigma associated with their non-conforming sexuality, racial and migration status. The present study used Meyer’s minority stress model to explore how LGBTQ+ forced-migrants navigated the structural discrimination presented within the system during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, it explored how the Zoom online social support provided by Say It Loud Club, a UK-based LGBTQ+ organisation supporting sexual minority refugees and asylum seekers, helped to address the aforementioned intersecting stigmas, assessing the impact this had on their mental wellbeing. This qualitative study is community-based. Twenty-seven participants, using purposive sampling, took part in 4(x2) follow-up focus-groups to investigate the impacts of both COVID-19 and the organisation’s social support. The analysis was developed using instrumental case study approach drawn on existing theory for an explanatory purpose. Findings revealed that, like other vulnerable populations in the UK, LGBTQ+ asylum seekers and refugees faced similar general stressors during lockdown (e.g., Isolation, financial constraints and mental health issues). As expected, participants’ sexual minority identity led to additional stressors related to homophobia and the perception of the self as stigmatised and devalued minorities (e.g., double-marginalisation and discrimination from both their own diaspora communities and local government). Further empirical evidence shows that having social support tailored to their unique condition addressed social isolation, enhanced sense of belonging, acceptance and resilience, while providing skills and knowledge building in terms of sexuality and in accessing healthcare and local resources