05/05/2021 | Writer: Kaos GL
‘How was your day?’ we asked the refugee LGBTI+s. They answered, we translated from Arabic and Farsi and now sharing them with you. The 5th story is coming from Dareen: The Earring
Kaos GL Refugee Rights Program aims to facilitate LGBTI+ refugees' access to basic rights, official bodies and social networks in the cities where they reside, the program provides legal and social advice through lawyers and social workers working within the program. In addition to all this, the Refugee Rights Program organizes developmental and social events on various topics.
Throughout 2020, the program has met with LGBTI+ refugees who speak Farsi and Arabic. Some of these events were online drama workshops. Kaos GL Refugee Rights Program organized 'Storytelling', a sub-branch of drama, workshops with refugee LGBTI+'s on November 23, 25 and 27 led by theatre and performance artist Gökçe Yiğitel. Refugee LGBTI+'s from seven cities participated in the workshops and told their stories.
As of today, we share those stories with KaosGL.org readers by saying "Every day of us is valuable and worth telling". Here is the 5th story from Dareen.
***
I'm sitting against the window in my room. I feel like I've lost everything. It's 8:22 p.m., a sad Sunday night. I'm looking out the window, at the trees. There's a little park near my house that I can see through my window. Maybe the trees, just like me, are not feeling well, losing their leaves. The trees are losing their leaves every year, yet standing tall and waiting for better days to come. So it means that our days will come too!
I want to share how my day went (last Thursday)
I woke up at 8:00 in the morning, as usual. I washed my face and put on my clothes and left the house at 8:20. I went to work. Usually when we first come to work, we change our clothes and wear uniforms. I did it like I do every day, and I started to work. We always have a tea break at 10:00. So we took a tea break at 10:00 in the morning. There's a guy who often comes with us for tea, and he came back that morning. He didn't say good morning, like always, looked to my ear and saw the earring in my right ear and said, "you fag, are you wearing earrings again?!" He always harasses me, and I do not reply, and then he asked my colleagues, "What do you think about wearing earrings?"
One of them said, "It's normal."
"Don't bother this kid anymore!" he said, and the guy looked at me again, laughed and said "faggot"! (to ridicule)
I took my teacup and went outside (I got out of the room). Then our manager saw me and asked me if I was okay. I said I was fine. The manager said, "But you don't look well."
I told him the guy came here every morning for tea, harassing me, asking me why I was wearing earrings and I didn't like seeing him and that's why I went out!
The manager got upset. Asked me why I didn't tell this sooner.
did he come out when you got here, what did you say to this kid?"
The guy who always made fun of me said he was just kidding!
Then my manager said, "It's a joke I don't understand. You've upset this kid. I don't want you to come to my workshop, get out now!" and the guy left...!
The manager said, "If someone tells you something, don't feel bad, just tell me."
Then I started work like I do every day, today wasn't a good day but better days will come!
We finished at 7:00 p.m.
After I got home, I washed up, rested for a while and cooked dinner.
Sometimes I go to that park near my house to walk after dinner and to relieve the stress of the day. I decided to go to the park that night, and I did. I walked in the park for about two hours and listened to music. I can say that I had given let off the day's stress and went back home to lie down....
I really need a surprise. A surprise that would save our lives and bring good times. The surprise I want to get is to see the end of our wait for the UNCHR and to be settled. Seeing better days would be great...!
The objects I use the most are:
Scissors + fabric + piece of wood
I cut the fabric with scissors to cover the wood
Body part: hand
Thank you
Tags: human rights, arts and culture
