On February 26, 2014 National Public Radio USA Reported : Even through a long-distance line from Uganda, you can hear the fear and anxiety in the young man’s voice. Nathan, 19, is gay. NPR is not using his surname because he fears arrest.

“Right now we are not safe,” he says. “Because we are hearing some people say … ‘If we get you, we will kill you. If we get you, we’ll do something bad to you.’ ”

More than 70 countries have laws on the books criminalizing homosexuality, including Nigeria, Russia and India. And on Monday, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed into law a measure that greatly expands the penalties for being gay in that country.

These laws also raise the likelihood of a tide of LGBT immigrants seeking asylum in the United States. But advocates say there is no smooth path for those claiming a fear of persecution.

via Gays And Lesbians Seeking Asylum In U.S. May Find A Hard Road : Parallels : NPR.