Building an International Grassroots Network for LGBTQI+ Refugee Referrals

Overview

In addressing global LGBTQI+ persecution and forced displacement, Rainbow Railroad relies on a large network of partners who support our mission, rather than on branded field offices which would pose a risk to our staff and the people we serve, given that same-sex intimacy is criminalized in nearly 70 countries. Instead, we work directly with local human rights defenders, activist networks, and organizations who help us to identify, verify, and triage requests for help from LGBTQI+ persons facing persecution and provide on-the-ground insights, verification, identification information, and logistical support. Our trusted relationships with underground collectives, unregistered groups, and LGBTQI+ rights defenders give Rainbow Railroad unique access to global networks of vulnerable individuals facing persecution based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC). This model has led to the successful relocation of thousands of individuals and has strengthened the global LGTBQI+ movement more broadly.

Since 2019, Rainbow Railroad has partnered with over 50 organizations engaged in work with the LGBTQI+ community. While these partners are headquartered in 24 countries, many of the organizations work regionally and their reach extends into neighboring countries.

The countries represented in Rainbow Railroad’s partnerships include Argentina, Costa Rica, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Guyana, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia, Lithuania, Malawi, Mexico, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa, South Sudan, Tunisia, Russia, Rwanda, Turkey, Uganda, and Ukraine

Program Model & Process

Rainbow Railroad partnerships support on-the-ground verification in several different ways, depending on the context.

● Partner verification: Some high capacity, trusted, longtime partner organizations with significant experience in human rights work are able to provide in-depth referrals to Rainbow Railroad based on a full assessment of the individual’s situation, including in-person, in-country interviews and evidence collection. A small number of partners (generally well known and well respected local human rights groups) fall into this category and work with Rainbow Railroad to review the cases and to secure resources for relocation. For example, since 2019, 39 cases have been successfully referred to Rainbow Railroad from a Russian non-governmental organization. The organization leverages an established network of grassroots groups that support case individuals throughout their relocation process, including the verification of cases on-the-ground, temporary shelters in surrounding transit countries, and staff working in destination countries. Rainbow Railroad develops these partnerships through in-country visits (for example, we worked directly on the ground with the Russian LGBT Network during the state sponsored crackdown on LGBTQI+ persons in Chechnya), and through international networks.

● Co-verification: Many cases fall into a category of active co-work with partners on individual cases, involving continuous back and forth discussions with Rainbow Railroad. The partner may be able to help verify a particular element of the case, provide on-the-ground logistical support or meet with the person face to face. Partners falling into this category also include LGBTQI+ organizations locally, as well as groups like HRW or IRAP who seek LGBTQI+ specific expertise from Rainbow Railroad and have an in-country presence which can support verification. For an example of partnership with local organizations, when individuals submit support letters from unknown LGBTQI+ rights organizations, local partners are able to consult their network to confirm the legitimacy of these organizations for further follow-up by RR staff. Trusted partners are also contacted to confirm the validity of letters from their own organizations, confirming that an individual is a known member of their community and in legitimate need of our support. As a result, our intake and case support team has been able to recognize fraudulent letters of support.

● Case agents and informants: A significant number of cases involve case work by specific trusted individuals who have long term relationships with Rainbow Railroad staff. Some are engaged as external contract workers (“case agents”), while others are respected and known human rights defenders who share information to help Rainbow Railroad confirm accounts (“HRD informants”). These individuals are able to meet in person with individuals, as well as to conduct an on-the-ground assessment about the veracity of specific reported incidents mentioned in a particular account.

Mitigating Security Risks for LGBTQI+ Persons & Partners

In 12 of the 28 countries in which Rainbow Railroad has an active partner relationship, same-sex intimacy is criminalized. This context makes it nearly impossible for on-the-ground offices to operate safely, and many organizations are operating underground in their communities. Our partners are often at risk of or are experiencing direct crackdowns, ranging from credible fear of arrest to arbitrary arrest, unjust detention and even torture. Rainbow Railroad is constantly adapting our operations based on feedback from partners, including avoiding publicizing partner and organization names or changing MOUs to reflect local regulations (ie “HIV/AIDS research” rather than “LGBTQI+ refugee casework”).

These risks may not always be apparent to the mainstream humanitarian community. Notably, in January 2023, contract staff of Rainbow Railroad, based in Jordan where they have been conducting casework for the last several years, were advised by the U.S. embassy to leave the country after they were targeted for arrest in the context of the post-World Cup anti-LGBTQI+ backlash in the region. Notably, this took place in Jordan which is Category “A” in the UN system as one of the least difficult places to work, in a city which is a family duty station. Nevertheless, due to crackdowns in 2015, 2020 and now 2023, it has become too dangerous for our LGBTQI+ partners to work in this country. In Jordan, same sex intimacy is not criminalized, but LGBTQI+ people publicly displaying affection or speaking out for LGBTQI+ rights can be prosecuted for “immorality”. We were invited to a labor mobility conference in March in Jordan and chose not to attend because of the security risks to our partners. Due to our flexible virtual casework model however, we have been able to continue casework for the remaining individuals in Jordan, rather than needing to completely halt operations due to the need to stop in-person work.

Long Term Partnerships, Both in Person and Online

Rainbow Railroad is embedded in the global LGBTQI+ rights movement and regularly connects face-to-face with partners from around the world in key community fora, for example the ILGA (International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex organization) World annual conference, World Pride, and conferences and meetings for The Commonwealth Equality Network and the Dignity Network. These long term relationships then provide the flexibility for our staff to follow up through remote communications as needed due to security risks. Rainbow Railroad’s relational approach is validated by best practices in North- South partnership models, which emphasize that long term partnerships are the key to equitable collaborations,1 that a “‘friendship approach’ rather than ‘tick-the-box guidelines’”2 and “friendship work”3 are the best way to decolonize practices and ensure sustainability and relevance of joint work. Part of our partnership model is also capacity building and resource support. We provide small grants to our partners that strengthen their organizational capacity to not only support our work, but to increase their crucial work advocating for LGBTQI+ rights in their own countries and communities.

The benefit of these long term partnerships was clearly demonstrated last year following a crackdown on LGBTQI+ activists in Chad. An HRW researcher was on the ground in N’Djamena to conduct interviews regarding the state of LGBTQI+ persecution in Chad. This researcher was contacted by an individual claiming to be an LGBTQI+ human rights defender, who met with him in public and downplayed the extreme LGBTQI+ persecution in Chad, saying that HRW should stop its research because the situation was not that bad, despite credible reports of detention, torture and killings. Our partners in Chad identified this individual as someone known by the community who poses as a human rights defender, and we were able to inform HRW of suspicious conduct from this individual over the past several years reported by several Francophone LGBTQI+ networks. In this case, long term partnerships, even those mainly operating remotely, were able to provide better information and context than an in-person interview.

Conclusion

Many of our partner organizations are led by individuals with lived experience of persecution based on their SOGIESC identities, often working under direct threat themselves. Many have years of experience assisting community members on-the-ground and have in-depth knowledge of community, family and state treatment of LGBTQI+ community members. This uniquely positions partners to conduct reliable assessments of case risk level and credibility within their own communities.

Partner organizations are run by trusted community members with whom LGBTQI+ individuals can share openly about their identity, history and fears of persecution without the threat of homophobia, transphobia, baiting, or being outed to community or state actors. This trust and safety is at the core of why partners are best suited to verify and assess the needs of LGBTQI+ community members on the ground. Applicants can speak freely about their experiences in a nonjudgemental environment, free from discrimination and harassment, and stereotypes about shared LGBTQI+ experiences or presentations. This allows for trauma-informed, queer-sensitive interviewing, where individuals are invited to share their experiences with trusted community members who then rely on their knowledge and networks to complete credibility and identity checks, complementing Rainbow Railroad’s rigorous remote verification processes.

1 Chu KM, Jayaraman S, Kyamanywa P, Ntakiyiruta G (2014) Building Research Capacity in Africa: Equity and Global Health Collaborations. PLoS Med 11(3): e1001612.

2 Maha Shuayb, Cathrine Brun, Carving Out Space for Equitable Collaborative Research in Protracted Displacement, Journal of Refugee Studies, Volume 34, Issue 3, September 2021.

3 Mona Girgis (2007) The Capacity-building Paradox: using friendship to build capacity in the South, Development in Practice, 17:3, 353-366.

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