Every World Refugee Day, Rainbow Railroad releases its annual report — a reflection of the work we’ve accomplished, resilience of our LGBTQI+ community, and growing urgency of the queer forced displacement crisis worldwide.
This year, our 2025 Annual Report, Understanding the State of Global LGBTQI+ Persecution, reveals a significant milestone: For the first time in our 20-year history, the number of people we supported surpassed the number of people requesting assistance, with more than 25,000 people accessing support through Rainbow Railroad and our partners.
That progress would not be possible without the commitment and generosity of our donors and allies, whose support enables us to continue showing up for LGBTQI+ people seeking safety around the world.
But this milestone also underscores a frightening reality. Across the globe, LGBTQI+ rights are under increasing attack. More than 20,000 requests for help were submitted last year — the highest in our 20-year history and a 51% increase from the year prior.
Over 60 countries criminalize same-sex intimacy, posing direct threats to people simply for existing. At the same time, governments that have long positioned themselves as champions of LGBTQI+ rights are advancing policies that undermine the dignity and safety of queer and trans people — restricting access to healthcare, challenging legal recognition, and fueling hostility toward gender-diverse communities.
This erosion extends beyond LGBTQI+ rights alone. Canada has introduced (and now passed) legislation that weakens access to asylum, while below the border, the US has further restricted pathways to safety for refugees and migrants. Similar measures are seen in Europe, as governments pursue policies that “offshore” refugees to third countries, fraying the 1951 Refugee Convention.
These developments are part of a global backlash fueled by years of coordinated anti-rights organizing Rainbow Railroad has been monitoring and responding to for years.
But we, too, are ready to meet the moment.
Over the past two decades, we have witnessed extraordinary progress alongside profound setbacks. Rainbow Railroad was here before same-sex marriage was legalized in 38 countries worldwide, before laws allowed same-sex couples to adopt, and before growing international recognition that LGBTQI+ people fleeing persecution deserve protection and the right to live freely and safely.
Progress has never been linear. Every advance has required courage, solidarity, and sustained action.
Read on to learn more about how we are facing this global crisis head-on, and why, together, with your continued support, we must keep fighting for a world where all LGBTQI+ people can live safely, freely, and with dignity.