Cabrel Ngounou’s life in Cameroon took a drastic turn when he was caught with his boyfriend, resulting in his family kicking him out. He embarked on a four-year journey through multiple countries, facing sexual assault and harassment along the way. Eventually, Ngounou arrived in the United States, where he joined the Welcome Corps program, which pairs refugees with American sponsors. President Joe Biden has worked to rebuild refugee programs dismantled by Donald Trump, resulting in the resettlement of 100,000 refugees in fiscal year 2024.
Trump, on the other hand, has expressed anti-refugee sentiments, pledging to bar refugees from Gaza and reinstate his Muslim ban. Biden’s administration has identified LGBTQ refugees as particularly vulnerable due to persecution in their home countries where their identities are criminalized. Thousands of LGBTQ people have fled to Europe seeking asylum, with some facing the death penalty for their sexual orientation.
Rainbow Railroad, an organization that helps LGBTQ people facing persecution, has received an overwhelming number of requests for help, with plans to resettle 50 refugees this year. The urgency to find new pathways for LGBTQ refugees to access safety is emphasized, as many are not safe even in neighboring countries. One such refugee in the program is Julieth Luna Garcia, a transgender woman from El Salvador who settled in Chicago. The ongoing efforts to support LGBTQ refugees demonstrate the importance of providing a safe haven for those facing persecution based on their sexual orientation.
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