Content Warning
As a content warning, this resource page will talk about sensitive topics that may make the reader uncomfortable depending on each reader’s lived experience. Discrimination, racism, homophobia, and violence will be addressed.
General and Historical Overview
This page aims to educate and provide resources for individuals who identify as queer, trans, and undocumented, or DACA recipients (also referred to as Dreamers).
Undocuqueer and Undocutrans individuals are defined by their unique experience at the intersection of immigration status in the U.S. and sexual orientation or gender identity. A 2021 study by the Williams Institute found that 1.3 million LGBT adult immigrants live in the U.S., and 3% of all immigrants identify as LGBT. A significant portion of this population is made up of youth immigrants, emphasizing the importance of providing early support and maintaining protection and access to resources at all stages. This support plays a critical role in shaping the success of undocumented LGBT individuals in communities such as UCSB.
At UCSB, the intersection of queer and undocumented identities highlights the need for strong support networks that students can rely on. Beyond navigating the complexities of legal status and gender or sexual identity, students often face barriers in accessing resources that address their specific needs. This informational site aims to bring visibility to the queer and trans undocumented experience, while also compiling essential campus and virtual resources spanning legal, educational, and advocacy-related support. Additionally, it explores media representation and significant case studies or articles that provide valuable insights into the broader conversation surrounding these intersecting identities.
Undocumented Student Services
The Undocumented Student Services (USS), located on the second floor of the SRB, offers resources ranging from mental health drop-in groups, immigration legal services, scholarships, specialized programs, basic need support, professional development opportunities, and much more for undocumented undergraduate or graduate students, with or without work authorization, at UCSB.
To check out more resources related to housing, financial and legal assistance, and academic advisorship, we recommend redirecting to the USS website for more encompassing information involving Dreamer students.
Creating Spaces at UCSB
The Undocuqueer and Undocutrans Support Group is a historical student organization at UCSB, created for students who identify as LGBTQ+ and are undocumented or DACA recipients. Although the group is currently inactive, students interested in reviving it are encouraged to reach out to rcsgd@sa.ucsb.edu for support and more information.
IDEAS (Improving Dreams Equality Access And Success) is a community organization at UCSB dedicated to fighting for immigrant rights through an intersectional framework. IDEAS is committed to serving undocumented students through financial, academic, social, and emotional support. These resources are more encompassing and provide a general overview of undocumented/DACA student support.
Conversational and closed spaces are important to empower and support undocumented students at UCSB. Consider joining MindMunch, a CAPS drop-in space to build community, talk about different mental health topics, and enjoy lunch together.
At UCSB, all LGBT-focused student organizations are supportive of intersecting undocumented and queer identities. A.S. Trans & Queer Commission, a serving body in educational and advocacy for LGBTQIA+ students’ rights, counts with the presence of an UndocuQT Advocacy coordinator. To get in touch, email tqcomm@as.ucsb.edu.
For more information about on and off-campus resources, please refer to the UndocuQueer and UndocuTrans Resource page.
Media & Representation
An article by Lajward Zahra dives into the historical marginalization at the intersection of LGBTQ+ immigrants and their experiences as part of the complex sociopolitical landscape of the U.S.
Julio Salgado’s exhibit on the intersectionality of being undocumented and queer highlights his own experience through his artwork as a form of uplifting the UndocuQueer Existence and Joy.
As an illustrator, Salgado is also part of Cumbiatón, an intergenerational community for Latinx immigrants, forging support for queer and trans undocumented folks in Los Angeles, CA. Salgado’s, Behind The Illegal Image: I Am UndocuQueer!, is also the chosen illustration for the banner of this informational site.
Image: Salgado's 2013 illustration, Queer Butterfly
Victor Hernandez is member of the New Mexico Dream Team, who after having witnessed his father's struggle with the healthcare system, supports undocumented, queer individuals in accessing essential mental health and medical resources. Learn more about his story in this video.
My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant highlights the story of New York Times journalist, Jose Antonio Vargas, who shares their life experiences as a queer immigrant growing up in the U.S. coming from a Filipino background.
Photograph from Jose Antonio Vargas
Forbidden: Undocumented and Queer in Rural America, tells the story of Moises Serrano, making a dangerous journey across the desert in pursuit of the American dream. After spending 23 years in the rural South as an undocumented gay man, Serrano finds himself unable to fully live and love in the only country he has ever called home. With no other choice, he decides to fight for justice and demand equality.
In an episode of First, What It's Like to be Queer and Undocumented, Mateo, a Colombian-born activist currently working with a New York-based immigration advocacy group, shares his transition experience in two contexts- undocumented immigration and gender identity. With his mother as his role model, he unabashedly tears down the mental and legal constructs that hinder people from living their truth and reminds us all that we have the power to do the same.
Picture by Them, Documentary by PBS SoCal
Advocacy Leaders
Jennicet Gutiérrez
Jennicet Gutiérrez is an advocate for transgender and immigrant rights. As a founding member of La Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement, much of her activism focuses on supporting trans women who are detained due to their immigration status.
Picture by Gender Justice League
Gaby Pacheco
Gaby Pacheco is an Ecuadorian-American influential immigration rights activist who is also openly part of the LGBTQ community. She has worked on Dreamers and is currently the president and CEO of The Dream.US
Picture by Paul Morigi (Getty)
Bamby Salcedo
Bamby Salcedo is a prominent and celebrated transgender Latina activist, known all over the world for her passionate and productive social, political, and economic influence. As the President and CEO of the TransLatin@ Coalition, Bamby steadily leads this nationally recognized organization that advocates for and addresses the issues of transgender Latinas throughout the United States.
Picture by Civil Rights Department
Lorena Borjas
Lorena Borjas spent decades serving transgender people, undocumented immigrants, sex workers and those living with HIV/AIDS, providing them with legal assistance and other services. She has also been recognized as the mother of the Transgender Latino Community in Queens, New York.
Picture by TransLatin@ Coalition
Julio Salgado
Julio Salgado, a gay Mexican artist, uses his work to amplify the stories of undocumented and queer communities. His art, shaped by his activism, highlights themes of migration, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and resistance, serving as a call to end oppression and embrace authenticity. Read more on A Spotlight on Latinx LGBT Activism: Julio Salgado
Picture by Jesus Iñiguez
Jorge Gutierrez
Jorge Gutierrez is an UndocuQueer activist and project coordinator for the Queer Undocumented Immigrant Project (QUIP) under the United We Dream Network.
Picture by Jorge Gutierrez
Case Studies & More on UndocuQueer and UndocuTrans Information
UnLocal’s Queer Immigrant Justice Project (QIJP) published An EU-US Comparative Legal Analysis of Transgender Asylum Adjudication, offering a comparative review of asylum policies for transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals in the US and the EU. The analysis highlights critical issues, including the lack of trans-inclusive healthcare, legal gender recognition, and the inclusion of gender expression as grounds for asylum. The report also examines how these practices diverge from UNHCR guidelines and provides recommendations for both regions.
The article Meeting the Health Care Needs of LGBTQ Immigrants explores the systemic barriers LGBTQ immigrants face when trying to access healthcare and coverage. As immigrants, they encounter discrimination in medical settings, while also experiencing alienation within their own communities due to their LGBTQ identities. The article emphasizes the need for policy and legal reforms to ensure that LGBTQ immigrants receive equitable healthcare and the support they need.
The Human Rights Watch report, Do You See How Much I’m Suffering Here?: Abuse against Transgender Women in US Immigration Detention, documents the abuse suffered by transgender women in US immigration detention between 2011 and 2015. Based on interviews with 28 transgender women—primarily from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras—the report exposes systematic mistreatment, including violence, neglect, and inadequate protections, while highlighting the US government’s failure to address these human rights violations.
For more case studies and information, see this list of articles that discuss LGBTQ Immigrant issues.
Citations & Sources
For a list of citations and sources used for this site, please refer to this document.