Refugee organization calls on Catholic Charities to respond to LGBT discrimination detailed in Dallas Voice story

Yousif Ali (left) and Nawfal Muhamad

A group called Friends For Refugees contacted Dallas Voice today about a story I wrote about two gay Iraqis who are now living in Houston.

We are a small citizens group, a watchdog, that monitors the US refugee resettlement program nationally to see that the program’s requirements are being carried out as required by the private refugee resettlement agencies. I have been investigating to find out why Yousif did not receive required items, e.g. furniture.

Christopher Coen wrote that he contacted the Texas state refugee coordinator, Caitriona Lyons. He said he wants to look into Catholic Charities violation of contract with the U.S. State Department. Basic furnishings are “minimum-required items” under their contract.

Catholic Charities is now claiming that the two men moved to a new apartment and that they had minimum required furniture. That furniture was provided after Tim Brookover at the Houston GLBT Community Center intervened and was obtained from sources outside the Catholic Charities network.

Over the last two weeks and the new apartment is after more than half a year of torment at their former apartment. The GLBT Center again was instrumental in finding a new apartment for them.