For many LGBTQI+ refugees, arriving in Canada is meant to mark the end of a long journey toward safety. But the struggle doesn’t stop at the border. Racism, transphobia, and homophobia can still surface in shelters, workplaces, and even newcomer communities. Finding stable housing, meaningful employment, or affirming healthcare often feels like an uphill climb. And for those still processing the trauma of persecution and displacement, isolation can deepen the pain.
It’s this reality that moved Christopher, Executive Director of the African Centre for Refugees (ACR), to create a space where LGBTQI+ newcomers could find healing, connection, and belonging.
“The African Centre for Refugees is a newcomer-led, volunteer-driven registered charity,” Christopher explains. “We support LGBTQI+ refugees, asylum seekers, and newcomers from Africa and other regions who are rebuilding their lives in Canada after fleeing persecution. Our mission is to create safe spaces, promote inclusion, and provide practical assistance from housing support and peer counseling to community education and advocacy for queer and trans migrants.”
Founded in 2019 by LGBTQI+ newcomers with lived experience of displacement, ACR emerged as a grassroots initiative determined to fill the gaps left by larger agencies.
“Our work is driven by lived experience and the belief that every newcomer deserves dignity, belonging, and safety,” Christopher says. “We saw a clear need for culturally specific, trauma-informed support that larger agencies often overlooked. This sense of solidarity and mutual care continues to inspire our team today.”
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A Lifeline of Connection and Care
With support from Rainbow Railroad’s Community Access Fund, ACR launched Pulse Chat, a peer-led mental health and communication program providing both virtual and in-person support for LGBTQI+ newcomers.
“This funding allowed us to maintain weekly sessions covering topics like coping with trauma, finding safe housing, immigration information, and building confidence in a new environment,” Christopher explains.
The funding also helped ACR provide internet access subsidies, translation support, and small stipends for facilitators with lived experience, ensuring that the community could lead and sustain the work themselves.
Through the grant, the organization also delivered virtual mental health sessions, emergency food and transit assistance, referral services, peer mentorship programs, and capacity building for volunteers and facilitators. The impact was far-reaching.
“We reached over 150 LGBTQI+ newcomers and refugees in Toronto and the surrounding regions,” says Christopher. “Many participants reported improved mental health, stronger social connections, and renewed confidence to engage in community life. Several have since become peer leaders themselves — showing the ripple effect of this support.”
One moment, in particular, stands out to her.
“A transgender woman who had just arrived from Uganda shared how the Pulse Chat became her ‘first safe space’ in Canada,” Christopher recalls. “Through our sessions, she found both emotional support and connections that helped her secure stable housing. Her transformation from isolation to empowerment embodies what this fund made possible.”
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Trust, Flexibility, and Lived Experience
For Christopher and her team, receiving support from the Community Access Fund meant more than just financial relief — it was validation.
“Receiving this funding was deeply affirming,” she says. “It validated the work of grassroots, newcomer-led initiatives and recognized that people with lived experience of displacement are best positioned to lead change.”
And the trust-based approach made a meaningful difference. Unlike many traditional grants, Rainbow Railroad’s model emphasizes flexibility.
“Their trust-based, low-barrier approach gave us freedom to design projects based on real community needs, rather than strict institutional frameworks,” Christopher explains. “Their flexibility allowed us to respond quickly to emergencies, such as helping newcomers find safe spaces, while maintaining accountability and transparency.”
She believes this kind of partnership offers valuable lessons for larger organizations and funders. Authentic community impact, she says, flourishes when relationships and trust come before bureaucracy. “Grassroots groups often understand their communities in ways that data can’t capture,” she notes. “When funders remove unnecessary red tape and center lived experience, real change happens.”
Building a More Inclusive Canada
Looking ahead, Christopher and her team hope to expand their reach by creating a Community Resource and Wellness Hub — a dedicated space for LGBTQI+ newcomers to gather, learn, and thrive.
Their vision is clear: a future where every queer refugee in Canada finds safety, belonging, and opportunity.
Christopher's message to allies and supporters is equally clear: solidarity starts with listening. “Understand the lived experiences of LGBTQI+ migrants. Offer your time, your resources, your voice. Small acts — attending an event, donating, volunteering — can make a big difference.”
She pauses, reflecting on how far ACR has come — and how much work remains. “We’re not just offering services,” she says softly. “We’re rebuilding lives, restoring hope, and creating a more inclusive Canada for all.”
Help sustain transformative grassroots programs like this. Donate today and support community-led initiatives that help LGBTQI+ refugees find safety, stability, and belonging.