Rainbow Railroad has rescued almost a thousand LGBTQ refugees due to the persecution and violence they experienced back in their own countries. Unfortunately, because of the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of travel restrictions, the organization cannot do anything for a while. There is a greater concern the fate of LGBTQ will be struck with something more dangerous than the virus.
There are at least 70 countries around the world that outlaw the lifestyle of LGBTQ. Simply identifying oneself as a member can lead to severe punishments. That is the importance of the Rainbow Railroad in which the organization will find suitable countries for the refugees to flee to for safety.
According to the report of the United Nations in 2019, 40 percent of the LGBTQ respondents received such abusive treatment and 90 percent of that number didn’t report the incidents because they became too frequent. With restrictions on travel, Rainbow Railroad would have to wait until these restrictions are lessened and immediately offer support whenever possible.
Many of those countries that only allowed heterosexuality used the pandemic lockdown as an opportunity to purge their victims. As soon as the travel restrictions were temporarily lifted, Rainbow Railroad executed their operations quickly and they are looking to implement extreme alternatives in case of another lockdown.