|
WINDY CITY TIMES
|
|
|
International LGBTQ refugee organization holds local fundraiser
by Vern Hester 2019-04-16
|
|
This article shared 3003 times since Tue Apr 16, 2019
|
|
On April 11, the international LGBTQ organization Rainbow Railroad launched a fundraising campaign at a benefit party held at the home of Phil Palmer (with the help of All Aboard committee member Bruce Koff) on North Lake Shore Drive.
The gathering featured the organization's executive director, Kimahli Powell, and a solo performance by Russian violinist and former refugee Artem Kolesov. During the gathering, Nigerian immigrant Valentine spoke about his flight from his country due to several mob attacks on his life and how Rainbow Railroad helped him attain asylum in the United States. The event served as a launch for organized fundraising in the Chicago area, with Stonewall Sports Chicago making a contribution at the start of the evening.
Rainbow Railroad is one of the few organizations focused on rescuing LGBTQ individuals facing persecution in their home countries and bringing them to safety. In the spirit of the Underground Railroad, the mission of the organization is to aid individuals who seek safe haven from state enabled violence, persecution or murder. The organization provides resources, information, safe transit and support networks to LGBTQ people from around the world. The organization works without government funding and is dependent on contributions.
Powell said to the gathering, "We give individuals the pathway to their true self."
Valentine shared his story of escaping Nigeria, where homosexuality is illegal. In his story he spoke about being abducted, stripped naked and attacked by a mob before connecting with the Rainbow Railroad, which provided him with travel support. Valentine now lives in New York City and is working with an LGBTQ immigration organization.
Kolesov flew in from his home in California to perform at the event.
Rainbow Railroad was founded in 2006 and has helped more than five hundred individuals find safety throughout the world. For more information on supporting Rainbow Railroad, visit RainbowRailroad.com . |
|
|
|
This article shared 3003 times since Tue Apr 16, 2019
|
ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE |
---|
|
| | Center on Halsted looks ahead to New Horizons at annual Human First Gala 2024-04-22 New Horizons was the theme of this year's sold-out Center on Halsted (The Center) annual Human First Gala April 20 at The Geraghty in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood. Ahead of the awards ceremony, the Center's Board of ...
|
| | Howard Brown reaches tentative agreement with union after 1.5 years of contentious negotiations 2024-04-18 Howard Brown Health has reached a tentative agreement with its union, after a year and a half of negotiations that included two workers strikes. The Illinois Nurses Association, which represents about 360 employees at Howard Brown ...
|
| | 'United, Not Uniform': Lesbian Visibility Week starts April 22 nationwide 2024-04-17 --From a press release - San Francisco — Lesbian Visibility Week (#LVW24) kicks off on Monday, April 22 with a private event at the London Stock Exchange USA headquarters in New York City. This exclusive gathering marks the beginning of a ...
|
| | News is Out, Word In Black, Comcast NBCUniversal welcomes 16 Journalism Fellows to cover Black, LGBTQ+ communities 2024-04-16 Philadelphia (April 15, 2024) — Today, News is Out and Word In Black, together announced the 16 fellows selected for The Digital Equity Local Voices Lab, a new initiative powered by Comcast NBCUniversal to place journalists ...
|
| | A prom of their own: Chicago orgs host LGBTQ+ youth celebration 2024-04-15 On April 13, Center on Halsted hosted its queer prom, MasQUEERade, for folks enrolled in its youth services. Prom goers created their own masquerade masks thanks to craft stations at the door. The evening included a ...
|
| | David E. Munar reflects on Howard Brown leadership and new Columbus, Ohio post 2024-04-11 On April 1, David E. Munar started his tenure as CEO of the Columbus, Ohio-based non-profit health system Equitas. The date marked the latest chapter for Munar, who previously helmed AIDS Foundation Chicago and, most recently, ...
|
| | Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame seeks nominations for 2024 induction 2024-04-09 --From a press release - The Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame has announced a call for nominations for the 2024 class of inductees into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame. Those wishing to may nominate individuals, organizations, businesses, or "Friends of ...
|
| | Tiny Home Summit 2.0 convenes experts to explore affordable, small-scale housing June 13 2024-04-09 --From a press release - CHICAGOA gathering of more than 250 elected officials, developers, advocates, philanthropists, community members, and people with lived experience will take place June 13, 2024 to discuss and strategize around the ...
|
| | HRC president responds to NAIA vote to ban transgender women from playing sports 2024-04-08 --From a press release - WASHINGTON Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, responded to the National Association of ...
|
| | Lambda Legal: NAIA proposed transgender sports ban disappointing, harmful reversal 2024-04-08 Lambda Legal: NAIA Proposed Transgender Sports Ban a Disappointing and Harmful Reversal "The NAIA announcement sends a dangerous message, is inconsistent with the law and science, and undercuts the organization's ...
|
| | Lighthouse Foundation releases first Black Queer Equity Index report card 2024-04-02 After three years of working with a small group of Chicago LGBTQ+ organizations, Lighthouse Foundation released its inaugural Black Queer Equity Index (BQEI) report this past week, ranking how each organization supports five areas of support ...
|
| | Munar starts as head of Columbus LGBTQ+ health organization 2024-04-02 Former Howard Brown Health CEO and President David Munar will now head the Columbus, Ohio-based LGBTQ+ health provider Equitas. Munar began his new position as Equitas CEO on April 1, Columbus Dispatch reported. "I am honored ...
|
| | Lambda Legal Launches "Speak OUT" awareness campaign uplifting trans, nonbinary voices 2024-03-28 --From a press release. VIDEO BELOW - (NEW YORK, NY — March 28, 2024) In advance of Transgender Day of Visibility, Lambda Legal, the nation's oldest and largest legal nonprofit working to achieve full equal rights for LGBTQ people and everyone living with ...
|
| | Brown Elephant returns to Northalsted 2024-03-26 Brown Elephant's Lake View location is moving to Northalsted and already accepting donations. Howard Brown Health, the largest LGBTQ+ health center in the midwest, operates three Brown Elephant resale shops in the Chicagoland area to help ...
|
| | Be here, be queer, play polo: Gay Polo League creates safe athletic space for LGBTQ community 2024-03-26 LGBTQ+ athletic clubs aren't too hard to come by, offering a variety of sports such as softball, soccer and more in cities across the country. But LGBTQ+ athletes would be harder pressed to find someplace to ...
| |
|
|
|
|
| New Title IX rules protects LGBTQ+ students...to a point | | NATIONAL Ohio law blocked, Trevor Project, Rev. Troy Perry, ICE suit, Elon Musk | | SHOWBIZ Celine Dion, 'The People's Joker,' Billy Porter, Patti LuPone, 'Strange Way' | | LGBTQ+ Intergenerational Dialogue Project set to hold its second annual exhibition | | WORLD Nigeria arrest, Chilean murderer, trans ban, Olivier Awards, marriage items | |
|
|
|
|