Quantifying Homonegativity Among Refugees in Germany: First Evidence and Implications for LGBTQI Refugees’ Safety

Refugees identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersexual (LGBTQI) may experience discrimination not only prior to and during flight but also within the host country, including stigmatisation by other refugees. Such experiences can severely affect mental health, making LGBTQI refugees a particularly vulnerable group. To date, however, quantitative data on homonegativity within refugee populations remain scarce. In this cross-sectional survey, 70 adult refugees in Germany reported interpreter preferences across three everyday settings. Homonegativity was operationalised as the consistent rejection of an LGBTQI-identifying interpreter across all settings. Sixteen participants (22.9%) showed consistent rejection. This proportion exceeds estimates of negative attitudes towards homosexuals reported for the German general population. Consistent rejection was associated with higher religiosity and was more common among participants who identified as Muslim, with higher rates among refugees from Syria compared with those from Afghanistan. No significant associations were found for age, gender, or length of stay. While the majority of participants did not reject LGBTQI-identifying interpreters, a substantial minority did so consistently. These findings underscore the importance of considering subgroup-specific preferences in interpreter assignment practices and indicate potential risks of discrimination against LGBTQI refugees within shared accommodation settings.