Donate

Reuben Zelman

Salma is intersex, from Iraq, and worked with the US military as an interpreter there. After fleeing violence and threats in Iraq, she now lives in San Francisco with a volunteer host family.

An Iraqi who served the US military gets a new life, and gender identity, in America

Lifestyle & Belief

In Iraq, Salma was officially considered a man. She is intersex — someone born with indeterminate gender — and has chosen to live as a woman. After serving as an interpreter for the US military during the Iraq war, she received death threats and a grant of asylum in the US. Now, a new program is helping her and other lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) refugees establish new lives in America.

Salma is intersex, from Iraq, and worked with the US military as an interpreter there. After fleeing violence and threats in Iraq, she now lives in San Francisco with a volunteer host family.

An Iraqi who served the US military gets a new life, and gender identity, in America

Lifestyle & Belief
Tell us about your experience accessing The World

We want to hear your feedback so we can keep improving our website, theworld.org. Please fill out this quick survey and let us know your thoughts (your answers will be anonymous). Thanks for your time!

We respect your time, attention and privacy

This is a news website, not a click casino. We do NOT employ deceptive behaviors, display annoying ads or use third party cookies and trackers to monetize your visit or help advertisers track you across the internet.

Simply, we ask that you would consider a donation to support the journalism we produce every weekday. Thank you.

This is The World

The World is a public radio program and podcast that crosses borders and time zones to bring home the stories that matter.

Follow The World

Subscribe to The World’s Latest Edition podcast for free using your favorite podcast player: