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Home Persian Gay and Lesbian Organization (PGLO), also known as the Iranian Queer Organization (IRQO), is a union of like-minded human rights activists - gay, lesbian and straight - who are committed to attaining and maintaining the civil and human rights of the Iranian LGBT community living in Iran and abroad. The path to freedom outside of Iran is filled with unexpected problems. There is a crushing lack of financial and emotional support, and queer refugees face the threat of assault on a daily basis in transit countries like Turkey, which have a similarly homophobic environment. IRQO wished to devote a large portion of its resources to help LGBT asylum-seekers along their journey to re-establish their lives in a second country. Among our current services are those such as assisting newly-arrived refugees with booking medical appointments, finding and renting apartments, registering in schools and colleges, and any other needs they have in their first months of living in Canada. We are working toward providing a strong network of support for Iranian queer refugees so that they can better adjust to their new life in Canada. The board responds to the calls of refugees from the United States and Europe, assists immigration lawyers with preparing refugee cases, and gives needed information and emotional support to refugees from all over the world by corresponding and giving information via email and phone, and by following their UN cases. We have established strong ties with the Iranian LGBT community living outside Iran and we have received a definite support and strong trust from the LGBT community inside Iran. At this point, we are relying on sister organizations in Canada to help us acquire the experience and the means necessary for our mission. We believe a democratic Iran is unattainable unless the human and civil rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered populations are protected by law and respected by society.
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