Gareth Henry is an HIV-AIDS and LGBTQ activist, who in 2008 was granted conventional refugee protection in Canada after fleeing homophobic violence and persecution in Jamaica. Gareth holds a Master of Arts (MA), Communication for Social and Behaviour Change and a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work. As a tireless advocate for the human rights of LGBTQ people in Jamaica, Gareth continues to support LGBTQ people seeking safe haven from state enabled homophobia, murder or persecution through his work with Rainbow Railroad.
Gareth is featured as a Human Rights Defender in the Canadian Human Rights Museum and has also been featured in the Refugee Canada Exhibit at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21. Gareth is a recipient of the Metropolitan Community of Churches Denominational Award for Spiritual Activism and Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network International Award for Action on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights. He was International Grand Marshall for Toronto Pride 2008 and World Pride 2014 and in 2019 was acknowledged as one of twelve Canadians representing diversity in Faces of Inclusion by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC/Radio).
