Immigration Equality logo

Immigration Equality's
2025 End of Year Match Challenge

All donations, up to $30,000, will be matched by our Board of Directors.

Support LGBTQ Immigrants Like Al

Choose an amount to donate One-time
  
Choose an amount
This organization is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization, and your donation is tax deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Please keep your receipt as your official record. We'll email it to you upon successful completion of your donation.

“That trauma didn’t disappear when I got to America. But what began was a quiet, steady journey towards something I hadn’t known before: freedom.”

- Al
Former Immigration Equality client and founder of Automic Gold. 

Al's Story

"When I arrived in the U.S in 2009, I had nothing. I was a queer, nonbinary indigenous asylum seeker fleeing a country where being myself was treated like a crime. When my parents discovered I was queer, they sent me to a mental institution to be “fixed.” Being myself was dangerous, and I knew I couldn’t stay. I came to the United States with no money, no community, and without speaking English. That trauma didn’t disappear when I got to America. But what began was a quiet, steady journey towards something I hadn’t known before: freedom.

Immigration Equality took my case, believed in me and helped me win asylum. That protection allowed me to rebuild my life from the ground up. I eventually started Automic Gold, a jewelry brand rooted in Inclusivity. Using trans, disabled, and BIPOC models and designing pieces for everyone. I finally get to live openly, I’m engaged now, planning a family and no longer hiding who I am. Immigration Equality didn’t just help me survive, they helped me thrive."

Frequently asked questions