Welcome back to the Year of the Lads, in which we focus on one Glasgow Lads book each month through next July. September’s book is Book 1, Playing for Keeps (Fergus and John novel).

One of our main characters, John Burns, has just begun a summer internship with New Shores, a fictional organization providing legal and financial aid to people seeking asylum in the UK, specifically those fleeing homophobic regimes. 

This storyline was originally inspired by the 2014 BAFTA-award-winning BBC film Glasgow Girls. The drama is based on real-life teens whose schoolmate, a refugee from Kosovo, was taken with her mother in a dawn raid and put into a detention facility. The girls campaigned not only to have their friend released, but (successfully, in Scotland) to end surprise raids and incarceration of asylum-seeking minors.

Watch clips of the film and read an interview with the teacher who supported them.

Here’s part of a Playing for Keeps scene in which an asylum seeker tells her story to the Warriors football club, who are raising funds for New Shores through a charity friendly match. (Content advisory: discussion of homophobic violence)

“I left Uganda five years ago,” Beatrice said, “when my girlfriend was murdered.”

Fergus’s murmur of sympathy was echoed by the rest of the Warriors, gathered on the training pitch to hear the asylum seeker’s story. It was one thing to understand persecution in the abstract, but to hear it in a victim’s voice made it all too real.

John’s mate Brodie, another New Shores volunteer, sat at the other end of the bench from Beatrice, providing support but letting her have the stage. “Who murdered her?” Brodie asked gently.

“It was a lot of people. They came to her house in the middle of the night.” Beatrice took a deep breath and pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. “I was there. Nantale—my girlfriend—she woke me in time to push me out the back door. She told me to run.”

John tensed beside Fergus, his throat rippling in a hard swallow. Clearly he’d heard this story before—if not from Beatrice, then from others like her. Fergus wondered how he could remain such a blithe optimist when he was bombarded with daily evidence of inhumanity.

Beatrice continued. “I recognized a few voices in the mob. Neighbors, people we thought were our friends—even members of her family.”

The players’ murmurs grew louder. “Her own family wanted her dead?” Katie asked in an astonished near-whisper.

“Nantale had shamed them by refusing an arranged marriage. We weren’t open about our relationship—almost no one is out in Uganda—but one of her coworkers reported us.” She looked at John. “It’s the law now, I hear. Anyone can go to prison for not reporting homosexuals.”

“Aye.” John turned to speak to the team. “Governments like the one who enacted that law in Uganda are gaining strength in Africa—and all over the world. Places like Iran, Brunei, and of course we’re all familiar with the mess in Russia.” The team gave a collective grumble of assent. “Their leaders win votes by blaming their economic problems on the ‘moral degradation of Western influences,’ especially LGBTQ rights.”

“What if you don’t get asylum?” Robert asked Beatrice. “What’ll happen if the UK sends you home?”

“I’d go to prison.” She folded her hands on her lap, where Fergus saw them tremble. “But because I’ve refused to stay quiet about my experience, I’m now a notorious homosexual. It’s likely I would be murdered in custody while the law looks the other way. So in fact, sending me back to Uganda would be a death sentence.”

She paused to let that declaration sink in. On Fergus’s other side, Heather was rubbing her own arms as if chilled, despite the warm, humid evening air. Her own father was a Sudanese immigrant, so between racism and transphobia, the keeper dealt with a double dose of prejudice. Right now, though, she was no doubt feeling lucky to be born Scottish.

Brodie’s boyfriend, Warriors striker Duncan Harris, asked the next question. “Then how could our government send you home? It seems a crime against humanity to even consider it.”

Colin snorted. “UK government knows fuck-all about humanity.”

“I guess what I’m asking is,” Duncan said, “how do they decide who to let stay and who to send home? And how can you make sure you stay?”

“It’s a long, intimidating process,” Beatrice replied. “That’s where New Shores helps. I signed in with them before going to the Home Office’s reporting center to apply for asylum. So when the border officers detained me, someone on the outside knew where I was and fought to get me released. John and Brodie’s boss, Gillian, helped me find a solicitor for my asylum hearing, one who actually knew what he was doing.” Beatrice reached over and squeezed Brodie’s arm. “If it weren’t for New Shores, I think I would be back in Uganda right now. I would be dead.”

Fergus spoke up. “Do you ever miss home?”

She gave a gentle laugh. “You all keep using this word ‘home’ to mean Uganda, but it no longer deserves that honor. Home isn’t home when you cannot be who you are, when you are surrounded by hate.” She met each of the Warriors’ eyes. “Better to make a new home. Only then can you find peace.”

As you may remember, Playing for Keeps centers on the bitter Catholic-Protestant sectarian divide in Glasgow. It’s one of the uglier aspects of the city. But the loud support which Glaswegians showed asylum seekers—and continue to show them—proves that Glasgow is also full of compassion and righteousness. The moral complexity and diversity of its people offer a million potential stories. I feel lucky to have written a few of them. 💙

To be entered into this week’s giveaway and the monthly giveaway, leave a comment on this post. Have you read or seen an inspiring story of people working together to help those in need? We could all use some uplifting tales right now. ❤️

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

• Comments from all weekly posts will be automatically entered to win the monthly prize.
• THIS WEEK’S PRIZE: autographed bookplate plus your choice of one other swag item (collection coming pronto). Open through Sunday, October 5. (August weekly winners will be drawn once I get the swag together to choose from in the next week or so. Finishing Playing By Ear took longer than I thought! 😬)
• THIS MONTH’S PRIZE: An autographed copy of the Playing For Keeps paperback. Open through Sunday, October 5.
• Pool of entrants will consist of comments on this post and on the blog version. 
• One entry per person per weekly drawing.
• International entries welcome.