Centring Queer Refugee Voices in U.S. Policy Conversations

Every year, Advocacy Days, hosted by Refugee Council USA (RCUSA), convenes hundreds of refugee advocates, organizers, and community leaders in Washington, DC. It’s a unique space that blends policy conversations with lived experience, empowering those directly impacted by displacement to shape the national dialogue on refugee protection.

This year, Rainbow Railroad was proud to attend with a powerful delegation: members of our U.S.-based Engagement Team and four Queer Refugee Ambassadors (QRAs) - individuals with lived experience of forced displacement who are now leading change in their communities.

Members of Rainbow Railroad's U.S.-based Engagement Team.

“Advocacy Days is one of the only opportunities to have so many leaders with lived experience of forced displacement together, advocating for pro-refugee and pro-asylum policies,” explained Senna Seniuk, Director, Engagement. “It’s essential for Rainbow Railroad to show up in these spaces to ensure that LGBTQI+ migrant experiences are represented, and that we are actively working toward not just inclusion, but leadership opportunities in national advocacy.”

From Storytelling to Policy Change

Throughout the event, Rainbow Railroad played a central role, from hosting workshops to engaging lawmakers in direct conversations.

“The Engagement Team’s presence at RCUSA Advocacy Days this year was a powerful opportunity to amplify the voices and experiences of forcibly displaced LGBTQI+ people,” said Kendra Frith, Senior Engagement Officer, Community Mobilization & Project Management, U.S., who co-led sessions at the conference. “By showing up as individuals with lived experience and as advocates deeply connected to queer and trans communities in displacement, we brought a necessary human lens to policy conversations that too often remain abstract.”

One newcomer, Kitwana Jackson, who attended as part of the Queer Refugee Ambassador program, shared why that representation matters: “It is important for LGBTQI+ refugee voices to be represented at Advocacy Days because their unique experiences and struggles are often overlooked in mainstream immigration and LGBTQI+ policies. These voices highlight the urgent need for safe pathways, inclusive asylum processes, and protection from discrimination and violence. By sharing their stories, LGBTQI+ refugees humanize the issues and show the real-life impact of policy decisions. Their presence challenges policymakers to create more compassionate, inclusive, and equitable laws. Most importantly, it affirms that their lives, identities, and rights matter in the broader fight for justice and equality.”

For Charles Mukoma, one of Rainbow Railroad’s Queer Refugee Ambassadors, that visibility was transformative: “Because we know our experiences best. No one else can speak to the unique challenges we face navigating displacement, discrimination, and survival,” he said. “Being in those rooms — on Capitol Hill, no less — meant claiming space where we’ve often been excluded. It was a powerful reminder that we belong in these conversations, and that our stories can influence the future.”

The team’s main messages to policymakers included calls to invest in refugee programs, restore the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), and protect due process for all forcibly displaced individuals, especially those targeted because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

“We reminded partners and policymakers that LGBTQI+ inclusion must be central to any response to forced displacement,” Kendra added. “And we spotlighted Rainbow Railroad’s Communities of Care and Community Support Team models as vital, community-led solutions for creating safety and belonging.”

A Sacred Space for Community

Among the most meaningful moments was a roundtable conversation co-hosted by Rainbow Railroad and its Queer Refugee Ambassadors.

“It was the first time so many LGBTQI+ people with lived experience of forced displacement had come together in this kind of advocacy space,” Kendra recalled. “What stood out wasn’t just what was said, but how it felt. People spoke openly about the mental health challenges they’ve been carrying — trauma, isolation, the pressure to survive and advocate at the same time.”

“There were tears, moments of quiet, and deep resonance,” she continued. “It wasn’t a typical policy discussion — it was the beginning of healing. That conversation reminded us that advocacy isn’t only about changing systems, but also about creating spaces where people can be fully themselves, held in community, and reminded they’re not alone.”

Charles described one moment that stuck with him long after the event: “A moment I’ll never forget was when a congressional staffer paused after I shared my journey and simply said, ‘I never knew it was this hard.’ That moment of honesty and empathy reminded me why I was there — to bring light to struggles that are often invisible.”

For Leora Mosman, Engagement Officer, U.S., the fireside chat on the final day of Advocacy Days was particularly powerful. “It was incredibly moving to hear directly from LGBTQI+ asylum seekers about what their experiences seeking asylum in the United States have been like. The current system is deeply re-traumatizing and dehumanizing toward queer people. There’s a clear need for our systems to better understand and dignify their experiences.”

Building Toward a More Inclusive Future

While the current U.S. political climate is increasingly hostile toward migrants and queer communities, Rainbow Railroad’s presence at Advocacy Days underscored both the urgency of this moment and the resilience of those on the front lines.

“The individuals we serve and are in community with are among the most vulnerable,” said Senna. “Our elected officials can sometimes forget the intersectional impact of discriminatory policies in people’s lives. Our Queer Refugee Ambassadors were able to remind offices of the diverse ways these policies manifest themselves.”

But even amid challenges, hope persists.

“After visiting Congress and sharing my story, I’m more hopeful that real policy change can happen — especially when lawmakers hear directly from people whose lives are affected,” Charles reflected. “I left feeling that our voices as LGBTQI+ refugees are not just being heard, but starting to be taken seriously.”

And the biggest lesson?

“I learned that advocacy is not just about facts and statistics—it’s about human connection,” he added. “Walking through those halls and speaking face-to-face with legislative staff reminded me that our stories carry weight, and that being visible can spark conversations that lead to action.”

“I felt really hopeful just being in the presence of such amazing LGBTQI+ refugee and asylum seeker advocates,” Leora said. “It is obvious that we are not going anywhere. The commitment that our community has to advocacy, storytelling, and living in our full queer truths was deeply empowering.”

“Seeing our Queer Refugee Ambassadors not only present but leading gave me hope,” added Kendra. “There’s a real opportunity to build systems that are more compassionate, intersectional, and grounded in lived experience — and I’m hopeful that, together, we’re moving in that direction.”

Drew Heckman, Senior Engagement Officer, Community Impact & Capacity Building, who also attended, put it simply: “We were fighting to restore refugee processing, reject the demonization of asylum seekers, and shift public narrative. And I’m hopeful because local communities — even in places like North Dakota and Nebraska — see the value of a pluralistic society.”

Bridging Lived Experience with National Policy

Rainbow Railroad’s Advocacy Days presence made one thing clear: LGBTQI+ forcibly displaced people aren’t just part of the story; they are leading it.

Their voices, stories, and policy demands carried a clarity and urgency that grounded legislative conversations in lived truth. By showing up not only as advocates but as community builders and system navigators, the Engagement Team and Queer Refugee Ambassadors demonstrated what meaningful inclusion looks like in action.

The experience reinforced that true advocacy is about more than policy asks; it's about changing who gets to be in the room, who sets the agenda, and whose safety and dignity are prioritized.

“If the experiences of LGBTQI+ refugees and asylum seekers were understood, centered, and truly advocated for,” said Leora, “the changes to the system would benefit everyone far more than vice versa.”

Rainbow Railroad Queer Refugee Ambassadors

Rainbow Railroad’s participation in Advocacy Days is a step toward that future, one where refugee and asylum systems are shaped not just for queer and trans people, but by them. It’s a reminder that building a safer world starts with listening to those most affected and giving them the tools, the space, and the platform to lead.