Issues

When Esan came out as gay at 19, growing up in a strict military, Pentecostal home in Guyana, everything changed. “All hell broke loose,” they recall. Facing physical abuse and death threats, they had no choice but to flee. Together with their partner,...

We're proud to share Rainbow Railroad’s 2024 Annual Report: Understanding the State of Global LGBTQI+ Persecution, a powerful reflection of the impact we’ve made together over the past year, and a call to action as we look ahead. The Annual Report...

For Adrian, a transgender man from Uganda, the decision to leave home was not one of choice, but of survival. After fleeing escalating threats, he spent nearly six years in Kenya — still living in fear — before finally resettling in Canada with support...

When Rahma thinks about their past, it’s with both pain and pride. Born and raised in Morocco, and later living as a refugee in Turkiye, they faced years of violence, imprisonment, and discrimination simply for being who they are: a non-binary lesbian....

When D’John arrived in Toronto from Jamaica, he was seeking something many take for granted — the chance to live freely, without fear. As a gay man, life back home was filled with threats, isolation, and rejection. Reaching out to Rainbow Railroad was...

Julie is a proud transgender woman who once feared for her life simply for existing. Growing up and living in Uganda — one of the most dangerous countries in the world for LGBTQI+ people — Julie was arrested, assaulted, and targeted for her identity and...

Growing up in Southern California in the 1970s, being gay wasn’t something you said out loud. But Mark Colclasure remembers being fortunate to have a mother who loved him unconditionally when he came out—a rare gift, especially in a time when many of...

A Mission That Moved Them to Act David and Jesse first learned about Rainbow Railroad in 2017, during the anti-gay purge in Chechnya and the organization’s emergency response to relocate over 70 gay men...

Community fundraisers play a vital role in sustaining our work, rallying their networks to take action and provide critical support. This month, we spoke to two of our dedicated community supporters, Bob Fisher and Jim Sargant, about what drives them...

Charlie, a nonbinary 2D artist and animator from Russia, dreamed of Canada for nearly fifteen years. Initially, they imagined coming as a student, then later on a work visa. But as political and social realities in Russia became increasingly hostile toward...

"Knowing who I wanted to be kept me going." For many, Women's Day is a time of celebration. But for Leila, a trans woman, it is also a day of reflection — on the struggles she has endured, the strength she has found, and the journey that brought her...

A Letter to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada Dear Minister Miller; Re: Civil Society Groups Call for Immediate Suspension of Safe Third Country Agreement with United States of ...