If you’ve been watching events unfold in Ukraine and elsewhere around the world, including the United States, and are concerned about LGBTQI+ persons: you are not alone.
Message from Our Executive Director; Updates on Ukraine, Afghanistan and Texas
If you’ve been watching events unfold in Ukraine and elsewhere around the world, including the United States, and are concerned about LGBTQI+ persons: you are not alone.
Rainbow Railroad is closely following along with these events and are carefully considering how they will impact LGBTQI+ individuals.
The situation in Ukraine is alarming – we are concerned about the impact this conflict will have on the LGBTQI+ community in Ukraine and are preparing, in consultation with our partners in the region and around the world, how we can provide help to individuals at risk.
But this is just the latest crisis that could impact LGBTQI+ person globally. It has been nearly 6 months since the withdrawal of US forces in Afghanistan and we have seen first hand how geopolitical conflicts disproportionately affect marginalized communities including LGBTQI+ people. You can read more about what that looks like in an article covering our response to the issue in the Globe and Mail here.
Since its inception Rainbow Railroad has sounded the alarm on the need for proactive crisis response plans from governments where we can refer LGBTQI+ people at risk. We need to be prepared for the displacement of LGBTQI+ people in Ukraine.
The situation in Ukraine is the most recent example of the need for collaborative responses from governments on crises; So far governments’ responses to crises have been reactionary and as it stands right now in Afghanistan – inadequate.
Last year, we issued reports to the Canadian & US Governments calling for collaborative responses. You can read more on those here:
Requests to the Canadian Government:
Requests to US Policy Makers:
We seek this collaboration while triaging an ever growing list of people seeking assistance. Over 7000 people came to RR for help in 2021, and more than 1500 people have sought assistance so far in 2022. This is a sharp increase from 2020 (read more in our Annual Report here).
It’s important to remember that there are 85 million people displaced around the world. This is the highest number since WW2. We know that geopolitical crises, climate change, and economic instability intersect with and dramatically exacerbate LGBTQI+ persecution.
While it is appropriate to be concerned about these issues when they make the news, we cannot forget about the displacement of LGBTQI+ people all around the world – who reach out to Rainbow Railroad for support every day.
In addition to our concern for LGBTQI+ people in Ukraine, trans rights are under attack in several countries. In particular right now, in the United States there is an egregious and horrific order put forward in Texas by Governor Abbot making it criminal for young trans people to receive gender affirming care. This is unacceptable and we should all be horrified and deeply concerned. You can learn more here.
These are stark reminders that our human rights are vulnerable. While the world looks on and supports Ukraine we have to be vigilant in our fight for LGBTQI+ rights – at home, and all around the world.
In Solidarity,
Kimahli