US family with LGBTQ+ kids seek asylum in Canada, fleeing Trump’s transphobia

A US family with queer children is seeking asylum in Canada, citing president Trump’s transphobic rhetoric as their reason to quit the country.

Caitlin and Ted Berg, from Illinois, said they’re anxiously waiting for a decision from a Canadian tribunal as to whether or not they will be able to seek asylum in the US’s northern neighbours.

The couple, who have a transgender child and a gender-fluid youngster, said Trump’s anti-trans rhetoric, as well as his actions to cut back on the rights of LGBTQ+ people, are the main reasons they are looking to leave the US.

“When I saw what happened, Donald Trump being elected, my gut started turning,” Caitlin told CBC from a hotel room in Ontario. “That is when I started looking at how to get my family out.”

Trump has been consistently transphobic during his political career, and has stepped up his attacks on the trans community with a wave of executive orders, which include banning transgender people from the military and minimising access to healthcare. Within hours of re-entering the White House in January, Trump also made a proclamation stating here were only “two sexes,” effectively erasing trans and intersex individuals.

Caitlin said that executive order was especially concerning for her family.

Things became so bad the worried parents pulled their children out of school on the day after Trump’s inauguration, over concerns for their mental health.

The Bergs, who are both veterans, also mentioned several other issues, including school shooter drills and Trump’s increasingly poor international policy regarding Ukraine.

Ted, who is diabetic, added that issues around healthcare access also tipped the scales, saying: “When [Trump] signed that executive order revoking Biden’s prescription plan that put a cap on prices, my insulin went from $35 (£27) to $900 (almost £700) a month.”

The family made the decision to travel north of the border without passports earlier this month, saying they had struggled to get the money for documentation and that the process to obtain them would have taken too long, they have been vlogging about their experiences and journey on TikTok.

According to Caitlin, Canadian border agents said the family had a slim chance of being granted asylum but they pushed on regardless, eventually finding shelter in an Ontario hotel.

Following Trump’s inauguration, there was a spike in Google searches for the term “LGBTQ+ asylum Canada”.

It is possible for US citizens to claim asylum in Canada, although its rare for asylum applications from Americans to be approved.

To qualify for asylum in Canada, you must prove a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group: which includes LGBTQ+ people.

There’s also the option to immigrate to Canada – rather than claiming asylum. Immigration lawyers IAS report that requests to move to Canada from the US have multiplied recently, which they believe is down to the recent “shift in the political system.”

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada told CBC that its board assesses each asylum case individually. A spokesperson said asylum seekers must prove that they have a “real fear of persecution or face serious harm.”

The family have been told that their application had been fast-tracked due to their US citizenship, but have not been given a date for the decision.

Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.