The Guardians of Equality Movement (GEM) was mentioned as a primary source in this year’s report issued by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the situation in Syria during 2025.
The report relied on GEM’s documentation as a source of information regarding the humanitarian crisis and the human rights implications for the most vulnerable groups during the escalation of violence in the Suwayda governorate, southern Syria, in July 2025. The Dutch Foreign Ministry’s report also relied on GEM’s documentation of a mass bullying incident targeting a trans woman in central Damascus in late August 2025, where she was chased and harassed by a crowd of young men.
According to the report’s findings, LGBTIQ+ individuals inside Syria face immense difficulties. These range from discrimination, deprivation of employment opportunities and housing rights, and the risk of forced marriage for lesbians, to ostracization, social stigma, extortion, humiliation, arrest, and various forms of violence. The Foreign Ministry’s report highlighted the absence of any legislation protecting sexual and gender minorities, adding that it is not possible for these individuals to obtain protection from the authorities.
The reference to the Guardians of Equality Movement as a source in the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ report carries paramount importance. The report serves as a reference guide when processing asylum files and substantiates the reality of the fears of persecution and violence, which positively reflects on asylum applications submitted by Syrian LGBTIQ+ individuals.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time research and reports issued by the Guardians of Equality Movement have been adopted as primary sources within governmental and international reports and studies.
