Rainbow Railroad

In 2023, the top region for requests for help was South and Central Asia (SCA), with 5,445 individuals seeking assistance; 70% of these requests came from Afghans located in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Türkiye due to the ongoing impacts of Taliban rule in Afghanistan. Rainbow Railroad categorizes individuals requesting help into the following status types within their country of request: citizen, permanent resident, temporary resident, no legal status, asylum seeker, and UNHCR registered refugee. This information is important for informing our advocacy with governments and multilateral agencies, as we are able to identify the specific barriers our clients face when navigating the global asylum system. Read our annual report to learn more about the individuals reaching out for support. https://lnkd.in/epZkw-Ef

“LGBTQI+ people are forced to flee home due to the everyday life-threatening violence and persecution they experience living in these countries. This is compounded by the cultural attitudes, policy and legislative frameworks that deny LGBTQI+ people full access to their human rights and prevent them from living with the dignity they deserve.” In a recent Windy City Times article, Rainbow Railroad’s Head of Engagement, Latoya Nugent, shares her personal experience of forced displacement, offers insights from our Annual Report, challenges misinformation about refugees, and highlights the vital work of our Communities of Care program. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gJwbPm36

Rainbow Railroad collects data on age and family status from individuals reaching out for help who choose to disclose this information. In 2023, 18-25 year olds represented the age group submitting the most requests for help, representing 43% of all requests. This represents a 128% increase from 2022, more than double the amount requested from this age group compared to the previous year. Additionally, the vast majority of requests for help came from individuals seeking safety on their own behalf, rather than through referrals. 96% of requests came from single individuals. Read our annual report to learn more about the individuals reaching out for support. https://lnkd.in/epZkw-Ef

Rainbow Railroad collects data on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics from individuals reaching out for help who choose to disclose their identity In 2023, the top three gender identities requesting help were cisgender men, cisgender women, and transgender men. The top three sexual orientations remained the same as the year prior, with the most requests coming from individuals identifying as gay, bisexual, and lesbian respectively. We recognize that there is nuance to collecting this data and our process is constantly evolving. Our caseworkers work with individuals to ensure that we are accurately capturing the various ways that they may identify, both at the start of their journey and throughout the process of working with us. Read our annual report to learn more about the individuals reaching out for support. https://lnkd.in/epZkw-Ef

Rainbow Railroad’s Head of Engagement, Latoya Nugent, joins the Happy to See Me podcast to discuss the importance of recognizing and supporting queer refugees. Latoya discusses the reasons why LGBTQI+ individuals continue to face discrimination globally, the transformative impact of relocation, and her own experience of relocating from Jamaica to Canada with the help of Rainbow Railroad. Listen to the full podcast here: https://lnkd.in/g6PRtqk6

Safety Concerns for LGBTQI+ Individuals In 2023, we tracked 38 serious safety threats reported by LGBTQI+ people reaching out for help globally. The numbers paint a troubling picture with 78% reporting community rejection (up from 53% in 2022). LGBTQI+ people report facing community violence, verbal abuse or threats, and life-threatening violence. Dive deeper into these insights and more in our full 2023 Annual Report. https://lnkd.in/epZkw-Ef

Health and Welfare Insights When individuals reach out to Rainbow Railroad, we track the threats to health and welfare they are facing. In 2023, we tracked 16 critical Health and Welfare Concerns impacting those we support. The top concerns cited included mental health, basic needs, and risk of suicide. Here’s a glimpse of the numbers: 42% Mental Health Concerns 30% Lack of Basic Needs 16% Risk of Suicide 15% Employment Discrimination 12% Experiencing Homelessness Dive deeper into these insights and more in our full 2023 Annual Report. https://lnkd.in/epZkw-Ef

In 2023, Rainbow Railroad received 15,352 requests for help from at-risk LGBTQI+ people around the world. These are the top ten countries where requests for help originated last year. Our 2023 report, Understanding the State of Global LGBTQI+ Persecution, dives into the forces of displacement that are behind many of the requests for help we receive. Read the full report to gain more insights and data from our work last year. https://lnkd.in/epZkw-Ef

Although South Africa has made progressive strides in legislation protecting the LGBTQI+ community, LGBTQI+ people in South Africa still experience stigma, violence, and harassment. Organizations like Access Chapter 2 provide critical support to the LGBTQI+ community through social services, legal assistance, and advocacy. AC2 supports women and girls, and people living with, or vulnerable to, HIV and tuberculosis, and assists queer migrants who are navigating the asylum system in South Africa. AC2 also operates a clinic providing legal services and psychosocial support. They monitor and support court cases affecting queer people and their families. Rainbow Railroad provided funding to AC2 in 2022, enabling them to reach more people and amplify their advocacy efforts. AC2 aims to expand its reach to people in rural areas who lack access to services. Read more at the link below to learn about AC2’s vital work confronting ongoing stigma, violence, and legal barriers for the LGBTQI+ community in South Africa. https://lnkd.in/gVdRMJYj

Today is International Non-Binary People’s Day, a day of advocacy and awareness for the global non-binary community. TiTi, a non-binary Iranian supported by Rainbow Railroad, shares their hopes for the future: "I dream of a world where people are not defined by labels. We are all human and deserve equal rights. LGBTQ+ individuals should have the freedom to express themselves without fear of judgment." Today, and every day, we stand in solidarity with the global non-binary community as they advocate for the right to live freely, openly and authentically. Read more of TiTi’s story in our 2023 Annual Report: Understanding the State of Global LGBTQI+ Persecution, at https://lnkd.in/epZkw-Ef