Rainbow Railroad

PURPOSE OBJECTIVE OUR IMPACT UN GLOBAL GOALS

Purpose

Rainbow Railroad’s life-saving work helps members of the LGBTQI+ community escape persecution and violence and find safety in a new country where they can live freely. Pictured: Sami and Mehraj. Credit: Raphael Chatelain

Objective

Rainbow Railroad is a global not-for-profit organization based in Canada and the United States whose mission is to help LGBTQI+ individuals around the world escape persecution and violence and find a pathway to safety. There are currently more than 60 countries that criminalize homosexuality or legally discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. In these countries, LGBTQI+ people are routinely arrested, denied basic human rights, attacked and brutalized, and even murdered.

Further exasperating this problem is the global refugee crisis which has displaced more than 110 million people worldwide—the largest number since the Second World War. For many reasons, LGBTQI+ people face unique challenges trying to claim refugee status and they are particularly vulnerable due to systemic homophobia and transphobia.

As an internationally recognized human rights leader, Rainbow Railroad has facilitated safe travel and resettlement for more than 2,300 individuals since 2006 through its core Emergency Travel Support program. In addition, the organization has provided support to thousands more LGBTQI+ people through its advocacy work, partnerships with organizations working on the ground in hostile countries, and through short-term financial aid when moving someone across international borders is not a viable option.

Each year, the requests for assistance received by Rainbow Railroad increase significantly, with more than 18,000 LGBTQI+ individuals reaching out for help in 2025 alone. The organization expects this trend to continue, exacerbated by the increase in crackdowns on LGBTQI+ people in countries like Uganda, Ghana, Afghanistan and Russia.

Impact

TreadRight and Rainbow Railroad have a shared commitment to diversity, inclusion, and a more equitable future for all. TreadRight’s support will further Rainbow Railroad’s ability to help an increased number of persecuted LGBTQI+ individuals find safety through its Emergency Travel Support program, help enhance partnerships with organizations working on the ground to assist migrant and asylum seekers, and provide additional support to its beneficiaries through resources including accommodation, medical care, access to essential medicines and in-country relocation.

The story of Rainbow Railroad beneficiaries Asher and Joe is a beautiful illustration of the organization’s life-changing work. Growing up in Yemen, they were surrounded by a society that enforced toxic masculinity and rejected anything outside of it. As two non-binary queer individuals, there was no room to simply exist — let alone love openly. The violence came early and often: threats, harassment, sexual assault, and the heavy weight of being told you don’t belong. It was this relentless threat that led the couple to reach out to Rainbow Railroad. After years of enduring persecution, the chance of resettlement came like a lifeline. “We had just been released from immigration detention — hopeless, tired, and scared. Then we saw a missed email from Rainbow Railroad. If that hadn’t happened, I would never have believed it,” Joe shared. Now, the pair has resettled in Toronto, a city where, for the first time, they can hold hands in public without fear.