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Fitzroy resettles and finds respect in Buenos Aires

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 homes.

Fitzroy resettles and finds respect in Buenos Aire... Fitzroy resettles and finds respect in Buenos Aire...
Home The Latest Profiles Fitzroy resettles and finds respect in Buenos Aires

One of the people we were able to help to safety in Argentina is Fitzroy, originally from Jamaica.

In 2019, our executive director Kimahli Powell travelled to Argentina to explore whether the country could become a more significant destination for LGBTQI+ individuals seeking asylum.

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 homes. Destitute, hopeless and suicidal, he lived day-to-day, doing sex work in order to survive.

These days, thanks to Rainbow Railroad, volunteers and civil society organizations in Argentina, Fitzroy resides in Buenos Aires. He recently told us that, for the first time in his life, people see him for himself rather than judging him harshly because of his sexual orientation.