Data and Insights from Rainbow Railroad’s Submission for the UN IE SOGI’s Call for Input: Violence and discrimination experienced by lesbian, bisexual and queer (LBQ) women.
In recent years, Rainbow Railroad and other LGBTQI+ organizations have seen a rise in movements that openly target LGBTQI+ people. In this climate, lesbian, bisexual, and queer (LBQ) women are especially affected, yet often overlooked in refugee and humanitarian systems.
LBQ women face overlapping challenges linked to gender, sexual orientation, migration status, and poverty caused by forced displacement. Their safety needs are too often ignored or unmet.
LBQ-led organizations are consistently underfunded. LBQ women who are forcibly displaced also face major barriers when trying to access support. Rainbow Railroad’s data shows that relocation is the most common request for help from LBQ women, followed by emergency shelter, mental health support, and medical care. However, protection systems often make it impossible for LBQ women to get the support they need, including relocation assistance.
Rainbow Railroad’s submission to the UN Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity examines the violence and discrimination LBQ women face in situations of forced displacement. It shows how LBQ women are often invisible within refugee systems and experience multiple forms of oppression. Our submission also notes that it is important to recognize the diversity of LGBTQI+ women, including transgender women who identify as lesbian, bisexual, or queer and face unique barriers to safety.
Our submission draws on community-led research, reports from LGBTQI+ grassroots partners, UN and civil society documentation, and Rainbow Railroad’s own data. Targeted interventions are critical to ensure queer women are seen and to help them access pathways that are suited to their unique circumstances.