ORAM made great strides in supporting LGBTIQ refugees across the globe this past year. Here are a few milestones from our various programs and engagement opportunities over the last twelve months.
In February, ORAM responded rapidly after Russia invaded Ukraine, forcing millions of Ukrainians to flee their homes. We began meeting the immediate needs of queer Ukrainians, including providing short-term housing to LGBTIQ Ukrainians in Berlin, Germany, and around the European Union. ORAM further expanded its housing program to begin supporting displaced LGBTIQ Ukrainians in Berlin with apartments for six months. In 2022, ORAM provided over 2,000 nights of safe housing to LGBTIQ Ukrainians and housed nearly 20 displaced queer Ukrainians in apartments for six months.
In Mexico, ORAM rang in 2022 with some of our team members visiting El Jardín de las Mariposas, an LGBTIQ shelter in Tijuana, where they led a ceramics livelihoods training. Steve Roth, ORAM’s Executive Director, returned to Tijuana in May with a delegation of five Members of Congress and other non-profit leaders to discuss the challenges facing LGBTIQ refugees and asylum seekers at the U.S./Mexico border. Throughout the summer, ORAM worked with LGBTIQ leader Enrique Torre Molina in Mexico City to provide trainings to refugee shelter staff and paralegals across Mexico. And in September, ORAM’s partner, Microsoft, provided digital skills trainings for residents of El Jardin and generously donated three laptops and other items needed for the shelter.
In Nairobi, Siste’s Kitchen, a training center supported by ORAM, launched cooking and catering training for LGBTIQ refugees and was visited by ORAM’s parent organization, Alight. In July, 25 displaced LGBTIQ refugees graduated from vocational training customized to their needs as part of ORAM’s livelihoods program in Kenya. ORAM opened a Digital Learning Center for LGBTIQ refugees in Nairobi in October, managed by Team No Sleep, an LGBTIQ-led community-based organization.
In honor of Pride month, ORAM took part in a lot of amazing engagement opportunities with our partners around the world, including through panels facilitated by Google, Delta Air Lines, and JP Morgan. These events were a great opportunity to spread the word about the challenges facing LGBTIQ refugees globally and marshal support for ORAM’s work. ORAM’s 2022 LGBTIQ Refugee Pride Reception was hosted by Deutsche Bank at their U.S. headquarters in New York City, and we presented Emmy-nominated actress and ORAM supporter Dominique Jackson with the first-ever ORAM Impact Award. ORAM also marched in Los Angeles’ Pride with our partners at Microsoft. As this was the LA area’s first in-person parade in two years, it drew over 125,000 people!
In July, ORAM led a two-day roundtable discussion focused on supporting LGBTIQ Ukrainians displaced by the war with Russia, hosted by Deutsche Bank. The conference convened activists, human rights defenders, and funders from ten countries and 20 organizations.
October was a busy month for ORAM, with many conferences and panels. ORAM team members participated in and spoke at the TGEU European and Central Asian Trans Council 2022 in Berlin, Germany, the Out & Equal Workplace Summit in Las Vegas, NV, ILGA-Europe’s Annual Conference in Sofia, Bulgaria, and The Alliance by McKinsey & Company in Athens, Greece. We even held our own fundraiser in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and were joined by Madrine Nanyonjo, a queer refugee and former ORAM client.
We want to thank our supporters for making this all possible. Without you, the achievements over the last year would not have been possible. Looking ahead to the new year, we are inspired to continue empowering and supporting more LGBTIQ refugees than ever before.