About

The Rainbow Initiative is Episcopal Migration Ministries’ response to General Convention 2022 Resolution D045 “On Supporting LGBTIQ+ Refugees and Asylum Seekers”, which directed the Episcopal Church to promote support for people who have fled their countries because of persecution based on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and/or sex characteristics. The Resolution also directs Episcopal Migration Ministries to focus attention on people subject to such persecution, and to offer information on how they could be better supported.

Rainbow Initiative Goals

  • Work with Episcopal congregations and others to bring visibility and aid to LGBTQ+ forced migrants.

  • Review and revise EMM materials and procedures in order to ensure that they are fully inclusive of LGBTQ+ forced migrants.

Subscribe to EMM on Facebook and Instagram, as well as the Rainbow Initiative email list in order to keep informed of new developments and advocacy opportunities.

Rainbow Initiative Congregations and Communities (RICs) enter into a covenant relationship with Episcopal Migration Ministries. These partnerships are marked by mutual discernment and the call to welcome the stranger in need. Some RICs provide housing, basic necessities, or direct services to LGBTQ+ forced migrants, while others focus in areas such as community education, fundraising, or advocacy. RICs are also provided with support to participate in related EMM partnerships such as the Asylum & Detention Ministry Network and the Neighbor to Neighbor program. Contact [email protected] to learn more about becoming a RIC.

Highlighted Resources

The Rainbow Initiative: A Toolkit for Congregations
Rainbow Initiative brochure/flyer

PDF | Print-ready PDF with crop marks & bleed

La Iniciativa Arco Iris folleto en español

PDF | PDF que está lista para imprimir con marcas de corte

EMM Webinar

An introduction to LGBTQ+ forced migrants​ & what The Episcopal Church can do with and for them​: On demand video | PPT Slides (English) | PPT Slides en español

Further Reading

– Stronger Together, a Guide to Supporting LGBT Asylum Seekers
– We Shall Overcome: A Case Study of the LGBT Asylum Task Force, a Parish Ministry

This is an extended version of a video that was first presented at the Reconciling Panel Discussion staged at Church of the Good Samaritan in Knoxville, TN, on June 25, 2023, in connection with Episcopal Migration Ministries’ Rainbow Initiative. In it, Craig Mortley presents a brief account of his own experience as a gay asylum seeker, and explores the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ asylum seekers as well as the contributions they make to their new communities.

Who are LGBTQ+ forced migrants? Where do they come from, how many are there, and what challenges to they face? What gifts do they bring to their new communities, and what support do they urgently need? These resources provide answers to those questions and more.

This work is rooted in faith. Most of the resources provided below were developed by Episcopal Migration Ministries and its Rainbow Initiative partners in order to be used during services marking Pride Month.

Among the resources most universally appreciated by RICs in the Rainbow Initiative’s inaugural year (2023) were the ​​banners, posters, and stickers that EMM had produced and mailed to partners at no expense to them. They were seen by hundreds of thousands of people in Pride and World Refugee Day events. For a summary of many of these events, see: (2023, July 6) EMM Rainbow Initiative partners shine a spotlight on LGBTQ+ forced migrants during Pride Month. Episcopal Migration Ministries Blog.

Several Rainbow Initiative Congregations and Communities (RICs) already provide direct services like housing, food, case management, and a warm welcome to LGBTQ+ forced migrants. Others are preparing to enter that ministry in partnership with EMM. In addition, the following organizations — most of which are national or international in scope — provide information, advocacy, and direct aid to those seeking help, as well as those who want to want to be supportive.

  • Immigration Equality. Through direct legal services, policy advocacy, and impact litigation, Immigration Equality advocates for immigrants and families facing discrimination based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status.
  • InReach is a trans-led tech nonprofit increasing resource access for the diverse LGBTQ+ community. The free InReach App is the world’s first tech platform matching LGBTQ+ people facing persecution or discrimination with safe, verified resources. InReach aims to serve as a digital one-stop-shop for the diverse LGBTQ+ community. InReach has verified services for LGBTQ+ asylum seekers, refugees and other immigrants, LGBTQ+ Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, the transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) community, LGBTQ+ youth and their caregivers, and more LGBTQ+ communities.
  • LGBT Asylum Task Force is the only organization or project that focuses on providing housing, income support, and wraparound services to LGBTQ+ asylum seekers in the United States. It is a ministry of Hadwen Park Congregational Church, UCC, in Worcester, MA, and a member of the Rainbow Initiative.
  • Office of Government Relations, The Episcopal Church. This link gives access to a summary of Episcopal Church policy on immigration and refugee issues.
  • Organization for Refuge, Asylum & Migration (ORAM). ORAM’s mission is to protect and empower LGBTIQ asylum seekers and refugees globally, creating sustainability and systemic change.
  • Rainbow Railroad. Rainbow Railroad is a global not-for-profit organization that helps LGTBQI+ people facing persecution based on their sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics. Individuals facing persecution can request help through a form on their website in English, Spanish, French, Arabic, or Russian. EMM frequently partners with Rainbow Railroad.
  • Safeplace International
    Safe Place International is a holistic leadership development organization for displaced LGBTQIA+ individuals.
  • United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
    This page contains resources on LGBTQ+ forced migrants from UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency

Subscribe to EMM on Facebook and Instagram, as well as the Rainbow Initiative email list in order to keep informed of new developments and advocacy opportunities.

The following blog posts and news reports have focused on the Rainbow Initiative:

For more information about the Rainbow Initiative, please contact [email protected].