2025 Theses Bachelor's

Credibility and Performance in Gay Asylum Claims

Cantrell, Reed

United States asylum courts rely on credibility determinations to assess whether an asylum seeker is eligible for asylum. By examining asylum claims made by gay men on the basis that they experienced persecution due to their sexuality in their country of origin, it becomes clear that credibility assessments are subjective and often rooted in prejudice.

Keywords: gay, homosexual, asylum, asylum claims, credibility, United States, America, performance, performative