Gay refugees in Amsterdam are given separate shelter after several incidents in the primary reception centers, including spitting, physical threats, and calls that they are a shame to their people. The state secretary opposes separate LGBT shelters in a letter to Parliament, saying he doesn't see the point and they're "too stigmatizing." But the city council supports the separate centers. "LGBT people are even more vulnerable, and I find it of great importance they may come to rest in a safe environment and are given the care they need," said Simone Kukenheim, the alderman for diversity.