Interview for
Alford Green
8/9/2019
Interviewed By:
Shanaz Deen
Date Interviewed:
Audio Recording of Interview
Summary
Alford Green, an immigrant from Jamaica, discusses his experiences as a gay person growing up in Jamaica and his journey to seek asylum in the U.S., where he found both easier access to education and a society more welcoming to LGBT individuals. He describes his journey to find an affirming church community and how he became the Ministry Director for the Hadwen Park Church, where he coordinates refugee resettlement services.
Transcript
Other Interviews
Other interviews of this person can be found below:
Additional Notes
Outline
Narrator: Alford Green
Date: August 9, 2019
Location: (Virtual)
Content Warning: Homophobia
Summary: Alford Green, an immigrant from Jamaica, discusses his experiences as a gay person growing up in Jamaica and his journey to seek asylum in the U.S., where he found both easier access to education and a society more welcoming to LGBT individuals. He describes his journey to find an affirming church community and how he became the Ministry Director for the Hadwen Park Church, where he coordinates refugee resettlement services.
Topics: Sexuality, Religion, Conditions back home, Mental Health, Family, Cultural Adjustment, Employment/Service, Leadership, Discrimination
Outline
Section 1: (0:00-11:51)
Sexuality - Grew up in Kingston, Jamaica as a gay man who was not able to comfortably express his sexual identity.
Thought of his sexuality as a “sin” and unnatural
Religion, Conditions back home - Told by his religion that being day was an “abomination”
Observed a difference between what the “average Jamaican” was like and values of the church
Mental Health - Depression that came from homophobia
Sexuality, Family - Never considered telling anyone he was gay, thought it would lead to ostracization
Religion- Despite being told that being gay was wrong, he still thought that God must have made him this way for a reason
Started to disengage with the church after moving to the U.S. because he was able to express himself and find acceptance
Section 2: (11:51-16:55)
Education- Wanted to immigrate to the U.S. partially because of access to education
Immigrated by student visa
Cultural Adjustment- Surprised by general friendliness in U.S., people in Jamaica more concerned about themselves
Sexuality- Could start dating openly in public without needing to have female friends tag along
Overall tasks like getting a driver’s license was easier
Sexuality- Did not want to go back home to Jamaica because he would have to go back into the “closet”
Found self-acceptance for being gay
Section 3: (16:55-33:04)
Religion- Wanted to seek asylum, so contacted the Peer Project then got in contact with Pastor Judy, Hadwen Park Church and the LGBT Asylum Task Force
First encounter with Pastor Judy was at a Hadwen Park Church service
Surprised to see a rainbow quilt at the front of the sanctuary and a lesbian couple holding hands worshipping freely
Fell in love with the church
Employment/Service, Leadership- Joined multiple committees within the church, one being the search committee for Ministry Director.
After some hesitation, he applied to be the Ministry Director and was hired
Finds it extremely fulfilling to serve his community
Employment/Service- Coordinates services for asylees to help them resettle and gain self-sufficiency
Feels a sense of duty to help his community because he knows what it feels like
Religion- About 50% of asylees end up joining the church, not all Christian
Some asylees come to be a part of the community
Employment/Service- Goal for the next 5 years is to purchase a building, have another employee hired to make things run more automatically and have more programming.
Create a template to help others replicate the work they are doing across the country
Section 3: (33:04-35:00)
Discrimination- People either think of asylum seekers as burdens or people to be pitied, but that isn’t the case.