QueerTalks #1: Saphinah Anick, Laurens Buijs, “LGBTQ Refugees: Being Ugandan, Muslim and Lesbian in the Dutch Asylum Chain”
Wednesday, 18 May 2016, 17:30 CET
Central Library (OBA)
Oosterdokskade 143
1011 DL
Amsterdam
The Mosse Fund, together with LGBT archive IHLIA, organizes a new series of events: the QueerTalks. On a monthly basis, we will receive guests from the LGBTQ community with inspiring personal or professional stories, often relating to current events and urgent societal debates. In an intimate and informal setting, our talkshow hosts invite their guests to share their stories and to interact with the audience. The QueerTalks are hosted by IHLIA at the Central Library (OBA), near Central Station. The event starts at 17:30 and will last 90 minutes maximum. Entrance is free.
In QueerTalk #1, on 18 May, Saphinah Anick will be sharing her story of flight from Uganda because of her LGBTQ activism, her experiences in the Dutch asylum chain, and her first impressions of her new home country.
The position of LGBTQ’s in the asylum chain is the topic of heated public discussion in The Netherlands. Several LGBTQ organizations are sounding the alarm bell: they receive reports of LGBTQ’s who do not feel safe in Dutch refugee camps. These reports are of diverging nature: some do not feel comfortable in sharing their stories of flight, others report bullying, exclusion, stigmatization, and even threats and physical violence.
In order to gain more insight into the situation for LGBT’s in the asylum chain, the Mosse Foundation will organize a public conversation with Saphinah Anick, a Ugandan refugee who was forced to flee from Uganda after her community found out about her lesbian sexuality while taking UvA’s summer school on sexuality in 2015. In this QueerTalks, UvA sociologist Laurens Buijs will talk with Saphinah about her story of flight, her stay in Dutch refugee camps, and her interviews with the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND).
Laurens Buijs (b. 1982) is a Dutch social scientist, known for his work on gender, sexuality, and diversity. He lectured at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) from 2006 to 2023, where his research focused on critical studies of power, identity, and social justice. Buijs is recognized for his outspoken views on LGBTQ+ rights and social equity, often participating in public debates about inclusion and the role of academia in addressing societal inequalities. His work blends academic rigor with a strong commitment to activism and progressive change, producing numerous essays, research reports, opinion pieces, articles, and written lectures.
Buijs’s critical stance on certain progressive policies, particularly regarding the intersection of identity politics and academic freedom, has sparked significant public discussions. He has been a vocal critic of what he views as the overreach of ideological conformity in universities, arguing for a more balanced approach to addressing social issues. His contributions continue to influence conversations on diversity and equality in both academic and activist circles.
About QueerTalks:
The Mosse Fonds of the University of Amsterdam organizes a new series of events: the QueerTalks. Powered by LGBT archive IHLIA, we receive inspiring guests from the LGBTQ community twice per academic semester. We invite them to share their personal or professional stories, often relating to current events and urgent societal debates, in an intimate and informal setting. The QueerTalks are hosted by IHLIA at the Central Library (OBA), near Central Station. The event starts at 18:00 and will last 90 minutes maximum. Entrance is free and open for all.
