Trustee Kirsteen McLay said she had been in communication with a young man living in a small town in Somalia.
To protect his identity, she calls him Mohammad, and is cautious about providing too many details about his family or where he lives, out of fear of retribution.
Privately, Mohammad identifies as gay, but the oppressive regime in Somalia for those in the LGBTQ+ community means he lives in fear of being outed.
Mohammad presents as effeminate, so he does not like to leave the house, worried that reactions from people in the street may raise questions.
Ms McLay said the country reminded her of scenes from Margaret Atwood’s dystopian book and television series The Handmaid’s Tale.
"It is basically like that, except it is an Islamic version of that."
The young man, who is about 25 years old, said gay men had been stoned to death by the community or thrown off the highest building in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.
Gay men could even be murdered by their own families in honour killings, for bringing "shame" to the family.
The Starfish Collective is hoping to apply to bring Mohammad to Dunedin under the Community Organisation Refugee Sponsorship programme.
But first he would need to go to another country and apply to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees as an asylum seeker and receive a file number.
One of his hopes is to fly to Cairo in Egypt, where there is a New Zealand Embassy.
The Starfish Collective has helped Mohammad with costs for a passport and it hopes to raise funds for a plane ticket and several months’ living expenses to support him while he looks for work and applies for refugee status in New Zealand.
If he was able to come to Dunedin he would be supported by The Starfish Collective, and with a university degree and a good grasp of English, he would be able to live without fear of severe mistreatment, violence and even death simply because of his sexual orientation.
Ms McLay said Mohammad was intelligent and had done what he could to try to help others in the rainbow community online, while having to be very protective of his identity.
"He knows who he is and he has really got a lot of compassion for others. He is not just out to save his own skin.
"He has done all this mutual support of other younger LGBTQ people, at extreme risk to himself."
FUNDRAISING EVENT
A special fundraising event aims to help a young gay man in Somalia escape persecution and begin a new life in Dunedin.
Revolution, a drag showcase hosted by Ann Arkii, will take place at Yours venue, 43 Moray Place tomorrow, 7.30pm.
The event features several drag performers and will raise money for charitable organisation The Starfish Collective.
Tickets are available at the door.
