Fundraising for LGBTQI+ refugees’ freedom

In more than 60 countries, LGBTQI+ people are criminalized and face unimaginable human rights violations. Many have little choice but to flee their homelands to escape persecution, and some choose Canada hoping to experience more freedom.

On World Refugee Day, we launched “Share your freedom,” an awareness and fundraising campaign for Capital Rainbow Refuge (CRR) to support LGBTQI+ refugees in the National Capital Region and bring others to safety.

The new campaign shows Canadians that it is within their power to share their freedom with others, and that doing so actually strengthens their own — that with each person brought to safety by CRR, the LGBTQI+ community gains a unique and powerful voice. This increases the strength of the movement here in Canada that protects the freedoms we often forget to appreciate.

The campaign kicked off with a video featuring refugees sharing some of the things they personally feel free to do now that they’re in the National Capital Region.

“Freedom is something that many of us take for granted,” said Timothy Jones, President and Creative Director at Banfield. “Sometimes we don’t consider how fortunate we are to have the freedoms we do — and, more importantly, recognize that there are ways to share our freedom, which in turn, strengthens our own.”

Since its founding in 2010, CRR has sponsored hundreds of people fleeing persecution in countries where identifying as LGBTQI+ is illegal and, in some cases, punishable by death. The organization also provides ongoing support for a network of more than 200 LGBTQI+ newcomers across Eastern Ontario. But they still want to do more.

“We’re excited to tell our story in a new way, through the words and stories of the real people we are helping,” says Lenny Emson, Executive Director at Capital Rainbow Refuge. “We just want people to think: Maybe you can’t stop human rights violations halfway around the world, but you can change lives in a very real way right here in our own community.”

Running now through Capital Pride this August, “Share your freedom” aims to raise awareness about LGBTQI+ refugees, promote fundraising and grow CRR’s donor base to support sustainable growth in sponsorships and support programs. We could not be more proud to support such an important cause that makes a difference in our communities and in the lives of LGBTQI+ people across the world.