“Basically, under a new, narrower definition, LGBTQ advocacy and speech would no longer be construed as political opinion for asylum,” said Sgarro. The draft states that the administration believes not applying for asylum in another country reflects an "increased likelihood that the [applicant] is misusing the asylum system as a mechanism to enter and remain in the United States rather than legitimately seeking urgent protection." And a lot of times they will turn to asylum, and it’s just really important to understand that intersection, to realize that asylum is such a lifesaving protection for specifically persecuted LGBTQ people, and America is in a very unique position to provide it, so by taking that off the table, it would threaten exponentially LGBTQ lives, and it’s just really important that we don’t let that happen.”I am a freelance writer who specializes in LGBTQ issuesOpinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.I write about queer women who are changing the world It may be difficult to prove that someone is subject to violence because of their sexuality specifically, for instance, as opposed to any other characteristic, even if the applicant understands that that was the case. The document also outlines new "procedural requirements" a person needs to fulfill to claim persecution based on belonging to a "particular group." While the language might seem like it outlines the standard rules of claiming asylum, if enacted, the new rules would force a person to demonstrate what would Under the proposed regulations, the administration will also hold to a higher standard or reject asylum claims by those who "failed" to apply for asylum in a previous country through which an applicant may have traveled. Sgarro added that these proposed regulatory changes are especially dangerous for the LGBTQ community because this group has less resettlement options when seeking asylum than non-LGBTQ asylum seekers. If they don't, they wave any claim to that "group" and thus, their claim to asylum for belonging to it.Again, this is tricky. The Trump administration believes that these regulations will help reduce what it sees as a number of "frivolous" or "non-meritorious" asylum claims. (In reality, there's The new rules are alarming for some hidden reasons, including the fact that adding complexity to the law means that there are more ways someone can accidentally or inadvertently apply for asylum incorrectly. The new law, proposed on June 15 by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Department of Justice, would also raise the standards for the initial asylum interviews. “So this would lead to LGBTQ rights activists who are already seeking asylum because they have so courageously spoken out against anti-LGBTQ views in their home country and have such a large target on their backs…being denied asylum and then deported to the countries where it is extremely dangerous for them to be.”Sgarro emphasized that this 161-page rule “seeks to dismantle the entire asylum system in America.” “It’s all part of this larger anti-immigrant, xenophobic, racist agenda and in my opinion it’s really just trying to flare [Trump’s] base, and I think unfortunately it’s going to become much worse leading up to November, so people need to be aware of these changes and how they affect the LGBTQ community and be willing to do things like submit a public comment to help slow down implementation and hopefully halt the entire process.”How, AsylumConnect’s Vice President and a gay asylum seeker from Malaysia, added that the new rule would also further restrict the definition of persecution. (Mic reached out to DHS and the Justice Department for comment and did not receive an immediate response. And with so much discretion left to the judge and so much vagueness in the law, it may be easier to reject asylum claims. For instance, if someone belongs to a protected group, but does not know that they need to state the definitions of that group "on the record" as outlined in the draft, their claim is subject to denial. “You don’t just need to look for a country that is accessible and accepts asylum seekers,” they said, “but also that is LGBTQ friendly.