The Growing Movement to Support LGBTQI+ Refugees in the U.S.
While Laws Turn Against Us, People Show Up: The Growing Movement to Support LGBTQI+ Refugees in the U.S.
We’re sharing key insights from our work last year. Read more about the mobilization of queer, trans and allied volunteers in the United States in our 2024 Annual Report: Understanding the State of Global LGBTQI+ Persecution
Traditional U.S. refugee resettlement is a public-private partnership, wherein the U.S. government contracts with 10 national resettlement agencies to oversee reception and service provision for refugees. Welcome Corps — a new resettlement program — empowered everyday Americans to become directly involved in this process by serving as Private Sponsor Groups (PSG) for incoming refugees. Rainbow Railroad was the first and only LGBTQI+ organization to partner with Welcome Corps. Refugee resettlement was not designed with the needs of LGBTQI+ people in mind, so Rainbow Railroad dedicated itself to mobilizing queer, trans, and allied volunteers for this partnership. This was a first-of-its-kind model in the U.S., and lays the foundation for the organization’s expanded post-relocation support frameworks. Across the board, LGBTQI+ persons who benefitted from this program, shared their feelings of awe at the empathetic care provided by volunteers, and hope for their own futures in being able to express and embody their identities in new ways.
Queering the System: Supporting the Unique Needs of LGBTQI+ Newcomers
Creating teams dedicated to providing queer welcoming and community integration is a critical aspect in supporting an LGBTQI+ refugee’s journey towards increased safety. Through Welcome Corps, volunteers serve in teams of five or more to support each LGBTQI+ newcomer for the first 90 days of arrival, helping them to connect with services such as housing, cultural orientation, English language learning, and job searches. Twenty-three groups completed their sponsor periods in 2024, representing over 6,500 hours donated. In surveys, volunteers reflecting on their experience overwhelmingly expressed feeling like they had made new family or friends, and a desire to continue direct service, and mobilize for direct advocacy efforts.
After supporting the relocation of 31 refugees from 11 different countries through phase one of the program, Rainbow Railroad was also part of a smaller group of partners who were able to pilot “third-party naming” (TPN). This was a monumental opportunity to refer individuals who had submitted RfH to Rainbow Railroad directly, to be considered and processed by USRAP. Rainbow Railroad was invited to co-create the development of TPN because of our expertise on queer-sensitive refugee management systems. For queer displaced people who are severely underdocumented by resettlement administrators, this was a groundbreaking opportunity to gain access to resettlement in the United States because they had been able to request help through Rainbow Railroad.
Mobilizing Volunteers Under a New Model
Rainbow Railroad’s ability to operate this program is rooted in our partnerships and mobilization efforts, with Rainbow Railroad-trained and supported volunteers executing on the ground support. Engagement Officers mobilized over 250 volunteers across the U.S., in 19 cities in 15 states. Our three largest hub regions were Chicagoland, the DC metro area, and Houston metro area, with each city’s mobilization and support rooted in strategic partnerships.
In the wake of USRAP’s suspension, dozens of these volunteers reached out with hopes of being re-mobilized for new kinds of services and direct advocacy in support of LGBTQI+ newcomers. Our new Community Support Teams extends the support model from LGBTQI+ refugees to LGBTQI+ asylum seekers. With Rainbow Railroad’s training and guidance, these volunteer teams offer financial, logistical, and emotional support to new neighbors in need throughout the country. Despite the Administration’s attack on immigrants and LGBTQI+ people, we know that queer people will continue to seek asylum in the United States. Rainbow Railroad and the networks of support we have built across the U.S. will continue to show up for them.
As we queered the Welcome Corps program, Rainbow Railroad also engaged in Priority 1 (P-1) referrals of at-risk LGBTQI+ refugees to the United States. P-1 allows designated non-governmental organizations to refer refugees of any nationality, typically with severe protection needs, for resettlement in the US. In coalition with other refugee rights and LGBTQI+ rights organizations in the U.S., we successfully referred 21 Priority-1 LGBTQI+ refugees for resettlement in the U.S. In 2024, five people arrived through this pathway. This pathway has also been impacted by the suspension of USRAP.
Welcome Corps: Navigating the Promise and Pitfalls of Government Pathway Advocacy
While Rainbow Railroad’s involvement with Welcome Corps has been a significant opportunity to support LGBTQI+ people at risk, the experience also brought to light critical systemic issues, including the impact of bureaucratic delays and the fragility of resettlement pathways.
From the outset, Rainbow Railroad was instrumental in shaping the Third-Party Naming (TPN) phase of Welcome Corps. We contributed significantly to the creation and rollout of the program, and many of our proposals and best practices were adopted directly into its framework.
In 2024, Rainbow Railroad, with the participation of over 55 volunteers, submitted 11 TPN Welcome Corps applications on behalf of 17 individuals. The application process was intensive, requiring individual interviews, the drafting of detailed case summaries, and ongoing support for volunteers throughout the various phases of interest, group formation and submission.
A recurring issue in LGBTQI+ refugee advocacy is the way in which government pathways result in delays, which leave individuals in life-threatening limbo while awaiting case processing. TPN was no exception, with team members and government partners anticipating that processing could take anywhere from one to three years. The timeline became critical following the results of the 2024 U.S. general elections, with advocates anticipating a severe slow down or halt of refugee processing. This was even more concerning because, once an individual has been processed by USRAP, they become ineligible for resettlement in another country unless USRAP proactively releases their case. Essentially, refugees who were referred into the program would likely have to wait 4+ years for their case processing to actively resume, and then be placed back into the resettlement queue.
The vulnerability of resettlement programs to political shifts, as demonstrated in the United States, reiterates the importance of Rainbow Railroad’s multifaceted approach. While collaboration and partnerships with governments can be essential for opening new pathways, specifically for LGBTQI+ individuals who may not be able to access informal pathways, it cannot be the sole strategy.
The U.S. as a Country of Asylum — Even Under the New Administration
In the first 24 hours following the U.S. election, Rainbow Railroad received over 1,200 requests for help from American citizens and residents. For many LGBTQI+ Americans, the election presented the possibility of a rollback of rights and an increase in violence. However, many states within the U.S. have legal protections and are generally presumed safe for LGBTQI+ individuals, making it incredibly challenging for Americans to claim asylum in other countries.
Safety is also relative and dynamic, and despite increasing anti-LGBTQI+ and anti-refugee directives from the new Administration, queer and trans refugees will continue to seek asylum in the U.S., and there will be communities to welcome them. The shrinking of resources and the increased trauma of seeking asylum make Rainbow Railroad’s Communities of Care even more vital. Where government infrastructure fails, our network of partner organizations and volunteers will both fill critical gaps and redefine what welcome and integration can mean for LGBTQI+ newcomers.
You can read more about the mobilization of queer, trans and allied volunteers in the United States in our 2024 Annual Report: Understanding the State of Global LGBTQI+ Persecution