'It's a Death Sentence': LGBTQ Afghans Fight for Their Lives

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

52% : LGBTQI people from Afghanistan should be granted asylum."
45% : Even in Istanbul, which people may think is relatively progressive, people can still be persecuted on the grounds of their sexual orientation or gender identity."
45% : "There was -- in the bigger cities, especially Kabul -- a modicum of freedom for certain individuals, like a lot of Afghans raised abroad or who had been refugees in Pakistan and Iran, and then for whatever reason had come back to Afghanistan."
44% : If they do flee, the dangers for LGBTQ Afghans seeking asylum are many, activists say.
39% : Munhazim said they may not be safe at Kabul airport, especially if overheard discussing their sexuality or gender identity with officials.
37% : To reach a country like Turkey, Parikh added, queer Afghans would first have to safely traverse a dangerous part of Iran, "and while there was a brief period where Turkey was doing alright on queer rights, since 2016 that has plummeted.
35% : The leading countries that border land-locked Afghanistan -- Iran and Pakistan -- would not necessarily welcome LGBTQ Afghans, Parikh said.
31% : We have heard from several people persecuted because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, and we have heard from queer Afghans and Iranians in Turkey to say how terrible their lives are there.

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