Ameena, an Egyptian trans woman living in Turkey, was physically attacked in the street by two men, leaving her with a limp and chronic pain. Her injury went untreated due to the discrimination she faced by hospital staff on account of being transgender.

She needed to flee from Turkey to receive appropriate medical care, the place she had hoped would be a safe haven after an already harrowing escape from human trafficking in Egypt, a country in which same-sex sexual activity is punishable by up to 17 years imprisonment. Ridiculed and beaten by her uncle and cousins as a preteen in a small Egyptian town, she escaped to Cairo at the age of nineteen after her uncle broke her thumb. Vulnerable and isolated, she found what she believed to be a safe haven in a house with acquaintances she met through the LGBTQIA+ community. In reality, traffickers were taking advantage of the desperate need for a safe haven in a country where LGBTQIA+ discrimination is rampant. She was forced into prostitution, and felt trapped. Several clients assaulted her, but as a trans woman, Ameena had no recourse with the law. She knew she had to get out of the situation. She applied for a passport in her deadname and saved enough money for a flight to Turkey, where same sex relations are not criminalized. At passport control, they detained her for several hours, as her listed gender did not match her appearance.

Despite her hopes for respite from discrimination in Turkey, Ameena still encountered verbal abuse on a near daily basis. On that day when two unfamiliar men violently attacked her while shouting homophobic slurs, leaving her unable to walk, the hospital staff treated her with such discrimination that she did not feel safe to return for the recommended surgery. Discharged in a wheelchair with no money and in desperate need of medical care, Ameena began the process of seeking asylum in the United States. The small legal aid organization handling her case recommended our translation services to her, as we had assisted other clients of theirs. She sought our help in translating her medical and legal documents so she could apply for refugee status and resettlement. Ameena’s request was eventually granted, enabling her to collect a small stipend and benefits as she waits to be relocated to another country where she can get the medical treatment she needs and deserves.

RTP is committed to providing rapid and accurate translation services that take into account the specific requirements necessary to tell LGBTQIA+ stories to the court and other institutions so that our clients can access resources and reach safety. Please support RTP during this Pride Month to take a stand supporting vulnerable members of the LGBTQIA+ community in reaching safety.