“Leaving the Sidelines: Kian's Story” is the second part of my reportage from the initial reception center in Suhl.

Kian* is queer. Because homosexuality is a punishable crime in her home country of Libya, she fled to Germany, but even here things are not always easy for her.
She grew up as a Muslim in a religious family, but she realized early on that she was different. She didn't want to pray or get married. She didn't even feel attracted to men.
Kian's life changed when she started becoming an activist for LGBTQIA+ rights. Although she did this anonymously, the Libyan authorities got wind of it. It is extremely risky for queer people in Libya to live their identity openly, so Kian fled to Germany. Here, persecution on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity is recognized as a reason for fleeing.

At the end of 2023, Kian came to Suhl, the largest initial reception center in Thuringia. She lived there for nine months with at least 800 other refugees, many of whom came from strictly conservative and religious backgrounds. As a queer person, Kian therefore felt unsafe. “In the beginning, I removed the rainbow ribbon from my bag as a precaution.”, she says.
What kept Kian going is her football. She had already bought it before she came to Germany. And even though it looks a bit old now, she still calls it “a faithful friend”.
Once Kian spoke to an older woman who organized sports activities for refugees in Suhl. Kian would later call her grandmother and guardian angel.
First, she wanted to persuade Kian to dance, but Kian told her that she would rather play soccer. The woman hardly knew anything about soccer, but then found a women's team nearby through several corners - and drove Kian to a trial training session. One training session turned into two. Training sessions turned into games. And strangers became friends, whom she now hugs to say hello and goes to restaurants with after games.

A short time later, Kian received an email from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. Her asylum application was approved. She is allowed to stay in Germany. An unprecedented sense of relief overwhelmed her. Her eyes filled with tears. At last she could plan her future in Germany.

I visited Kian several times from July 2024 until March 2025.