Samenvatting

This article explores the way in which a stated lesbian, gay or bisexual orientation or (trans)gender identity can be assessed in asylum cases. Recently, the Dutch Council of State sought guidance from the European Court of Justice on this topic. Decisions in which an asylum claim is rejected, because the stated sexual orientation is not considered credible, are often based on stereotypes regarding LGBTs, as the ‘Fleeing homophobia’ research has shown. Illustrated by Dutch examples of stereotypical reasoning, the author elaborates on the pitfalls that should be avoided. She concludes that, as sexual orientation is an extremely personal characteristic, it is in fact not possible to assess someone else’s sexual orientation. Therefore asylum authorities should not try to develop their ‘gaydar’, but should rely on the self-identification of the asylum seeker instead.