Across continents, many LGBT people battle abuse based on their sexual identity. Rainbow Railroad hopes to raise $600,000 to rescue 60 of these victims by the end of 2020.

The Rainbow Railroad receives thousands of requests for foreign help each year. In countries like Egypt, Russia, Uganda and Indonesia, LGBT people face abuse. The 60 in 60 campaign hopes to help 60 people move to safety and conclude 2020 with a spirit of generosity and mercy.

“During these two months when people are thinking about giving, we think this is a real opportunity for folks to be philanthropic and help us cross the finish line,” Kimahli Powell, executive director of Rainbow Railroad said.

The campaign has raised over $330,000 with contributions coming from a variety of donors.

“It's really a mix of community groups, grassroots organizations, grassroots funding, and some corporate support,” said Communications Officer Eric Wright, who is running this year’s campaign.

The campaign finds donors through Facebook, Twitter and Twitch, a video game platform.

“Rainbow Railroad always has so many people supporting us online, doing fundraisers, doing crafting, doing game marathons on Twitch,” Wright said. Read more via SFGN

About the Campaign

Rainbow Railroad is a non-profit organization that helps LGBTQI people seek safe haven from violence and persecution. To close out the year, we are aiming to raise $600,000, which will allow us to move another 60 people from danger. We need your help to get us to this ambitious goal. Here's a message from our Executive Director Kimahli Powell about how we've continued our work during COVID-19 and why we need to do more.

On average, it costs $10,000 to move someone to safety. Pictured above is Amin from Chechnya, who was taken by authorities from his workplace and tortured for weeks. Thanks to people like you, he's alive and safe today.

Since 2006, we've directly moved now over 1,000 people across international borders and helped thousands more in varying ways to flee danger. Our work continues, despite border closures and challenges from COVID-19.

This work is fuelled by our network of international donors, both LGBTQI individuals and allies. Your involvement is critical to saving the lives of LGBTQI people like Amin. Thank you again for your help. Please share this page with your friends, co-workers, family and others. Learn more about our work at www.rainbowrailroad.org

You can also view recent videos about our partnership work south of the US-Mexico border and the incredible survival story of Cisco.