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BBC Radio 4, 2023
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Burden of Proof

“They didn’t believe that I was gay.”

What if your safety depended on proving your sexuality? What happens when the state has the power to define queerness? And what happens if they don’t believe you?

Bridey Addison-Child, a trans-masc British citizen, explores what happens when the authenticity of queerness is enforced by the UK Home Office. Combining testimony with reflections on queer identity, the programme follows the experiences of LGBT+ people in the UK asylum system as they grapple with proving who they are.

Featuring the voices of refugees and people seeking asylum in the UK including Jason Thomas-Fournillier and Aderonke Apata, Bridey also hears from Professor of Refugee Law at SOAS Sarah Singer, and barrister and Visiting Adjunct Professor at the University of Southampton Dr. S Chelvan.

Listen to Burden of Proof here.