Syrian LGBTQ refugee wants to help others find safety in Canada

The journey of a Rainbow Refugee, from secret chat rooms in Syria to Kelowna Pride, and the fundraiser trying to bring more community members like him to Canada. Crystal Laderas reports.

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – A refugee who came to Canada from Syria with the help of a local LGBTQ group is hoping to aid others who, like him, were just looking for a place to be themselves.

Anas Qartoumeh went from discreet LGBTQ online chat rooms to a coming out celebration he could only imagine. But his situation is not unique — there are many others who are also seeking safe passage to Canada, and Rainbow Refugee is writing applications for them to do so.

“I filled the paper, I was writing with tears in my eyes. Knowing everything but still not believing that this [was] going to happen. Because I tried so hard. I applied for the United States like six times,” Qartoumeh recalled of his own experience.

He spent 30 years hiding who he truly was. Qartoumeh, who is gay and was living in Syria, was even forced to hide his identity after fleeing to northern Iraq.

That changed one night when he came across a message from Danny Ramadan, the organizer behind RBC Presents: An Evening in Damascus, a fundraiser to bring persecuted LGBTQ members to Canada.

Danny Ramadan joins the crowd at An Evening in Damascus in 2018. (Source: Danny Ramadan)

“He arrived in 2016 and took Kelowna by storm,” said Ramadan of Qartoumeh.

“When I saw the flag and when they handed it to me, I swear I was looking (to see if) someone would see me carrying the flag,” Qartoumeh recalled, demonstrating by looking over his shoulder.

Sponsored by the Central Okanagan Refugee coalition, Qartoumeh quickly landed a job as senior auditor with KPMG. But he was used to living in fear and “desperate to come out.”

“I feel like I lost living this period, this time, having this momentum of this age from 20 to 30. It’s so difficult and different. I’m glad that at least I catch up now but it’s still, it’s a long time to adjust and be exactly who you are,” he explained to CityNews, adding, “No body came out there. There’s no role model.”


Read more: An Evening in Damascus returns to Vancouver to celebrate, help LGBTQ Syrian refugees


Ramadan understands the feeling.

“My role model was Ross’ ex-wife in Friends, because she was the only queer person that I’ve ever heard of in Syria and that just not okay. It’s not okay that a white woman on a TV show was my role model and she wasn’t even a main character,” he explained.

Long before he arrived in Canada, Ramadan was running an underground gay community centre out of his Damascus apartment in 2010. The community met in secret. He was eventually arrested, spending weeks in jail and fleeing Syria as a refugee not long after.

Now, he’s always looking to help others anyway he can.

In 2018, Qartoumeh took the step right onto the parade route as Grand Marshall of the Kelowna Pride Parade. He was celebrated locally, but he didn’t get quite the same support overseas.

“I got severe backlash from back home and from everybody that knew about me. Some people didn’t believe it. They shamed me a lot about that, especially the Arabic media,” he explained.

However, despite the criticisms and backlash, many believe he showed bravery.

“He decided to stand up for his family. Stand up for his society. He lost a lot of good people in his life, people he looked up to, because he decided to come out of the closet. And it’s sad, god knows it’s sad,” said Ramadan.


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Qartoumeh says who he is now is the image he wants to send to those still in hiding.

“Being on stage and all of those people around me, it’s a great message to back home. Like look at those people from different ages, not all of the LGBT, all of them convince that we exist and we are valued and are worthy,” he said.

An Evening in Damascus is raising money to bring people like Qartoumeh to Canada. The event is being held on Oct. 1 at the Terminal City Club.

CityNews Vancouver and NEWS 1130 are proud media sponsors of An Evening in Damascus.

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