Profiles

Edwar was born and raised in Syria. Although he always knew he couldn’t live his life as his full self in Syria, where homosexuality is criminalized, it was when the war broke out that his daily existence became truly unsustainable. After resettling...

In celebration of Black History Month, we are shining a spotlight on an influential Black LGBTQI+ activist who is near and dear to our hearts, Latoya Nugent.  Born and raised in Jamaica, Latoya is a former social science college educator and human...

In 2022, Musa escaped to Canada with the help of Rainbow Railroad. Originally from Chechnya, Musa’s journey was not an easy one. It took multiple escape attempts and extremely careful planning to get Musa to safety. His case was so severe that he...

André was born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica. He was 13 years old when he realized that it wasn’t safe to live his life freely, and he began to face rejection from his community. He was bullied at school, and said that: "In high school...

Life was not easy for sisters Kena and Sanchia. But their mutual support and some help from Rainbow Railroad saw them through. "This is my sister. This is the person who has seen me through everything. And, I want the best for her - whatever i've had...

The Caribbean is a region of great cultural and linguistic diversity, but there’s something that unites many of its countries. Today, in nine Caribbean countries, same-sex intimacy is still criminalized through what are called “gross indecency” laws....

Growing up, Fitzroy faced extreme violence. When he was 16, his family discovered he was gay and tried to kill him. He fled his hometown to Montego Bay, where he took refuge in an abandoned house with other LGBTQI+ individuals who had escaped their h...

The couple took extreme measures, concealing their plans to escape from even their closest family members. It was only after the couple landed in Toronto that they informed their families about their escape.

Contacting our organization changed Rakibul’s life forever. When he arrived at Toronto’s Pearson Airport, he was immediately greeted by a volunteer settlement team who had helped sponsor his journey.

December 23, 2007, was a terrible day for Toni. On that day, she was shot multiple times in a homophobic attack. She spent six months recovering in hospital and was left paralyzed. After this devastating assault, she wasn’t sure if any of her dreams would...

In 2020 Rainbow Railroad was showcased in a powerful episode of Canada’s Drag Race, which featured five courageous people who we assisted out of harm’s way. A huge congratulations to Priyanka and Elektra for winning the challenge!

At one point, Michelle realized that she had nothing to lose by trying to escape; she knew if she stayed, she would be killed. With the help of Rainbow Railroad, she made it to the United Kingdom, where her life has dramatically improved. She now lives...