3 ways to support the LGBTQIA+ community during Pride Month

Editor’s note: This post is regularly updated with new information. It was originally published in June 2020.

Pride month always represents a bright spot of joy and celebration for the LGBTQIA+ community, even more so given the extraordinary challenges faced during the last two years due to the pandemic. For some people, this will be yet another chance for celebrating a tradition, as they’ve done for years. For others, it could be their first time openly embracing Pride after coming out.

It is also a time to be seen and recognized. The country took an important step in that direction on June 1, 2021, when President Joe Biden issued a proclamation declaring June Pride Month and promised to fight for full equality for LGBTQ people to be written into law. That positive step came on top of an executive order mandating federal agencies fully enforce all federal laws that bar discrimination due to sexual orientation or gender identity, which Biden signed upon entering office. It’s a stark contrast to the previous administration, which had steadfastly refused to even acknowledge Pride in 2020.

The TPG brand was founded on principles of equality for all. Our founder, Brian Kelly, has publicly shared his experiences traveling the world as an openly gay man, and our company supports a number of organizations focused on improving quality of life for the LGBTQIA+ community.

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However, much work remains to be done on the equality front, especially for gay people in countries with restrictive, homophobic laws. Many individuals worldwide live in fear of persecution because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Outed people are sometimes ostracized, abused and even killed by homophobic people in their communities or by government officials. Even within the U.S., discrimination can be seen in many areas, such as outdated policies surrounding blood donations.

For several years now, TPG has partnered with the nonprofit organization Rainbow Railroad to rescue LGBTQIA+ individuals such as Montgomery, a Jamaican man who spent more than 30 years hiding his sexuality to stay alive. Now in his 50s, Montgomery was able to escape his dangerous homeland and relocate to the U.S. thanks to a couple of organizations, including Rainbow Railroad. Montgomery is just one of tens of thousands of people who reach out to Rainbow Railroad each year for help seeking asylum.

Talking Points: TPG’s interview with Rainbow Railroad executive director Kimahli Powell

Rainbow Railroad continues to raise awareness around homophobic discrimination and abuse around the world.

Here’s how you can participate.

Get educated about the LGBTQIA+ movement

As the saying goes, knowledge is power. To be an ally and supporter of the gay community, it is important to understand the history of the LGBTQIA+ movement, which stretches back further than many may suspect. You can find numerous books to read for Pride Month here, including romance novels and autobiographies from LGBTQIA+ authors. If you prefer to watch and learn, here’s a list of 12 films that showcase LGBTQIA+ characters.

Another key aspect is understanding the importance of identity, especially with regards to pronouns. Learning to use the proper pronouns and gender identity terms is an easy way to let someone know you respect them. NPR has a guide to gender identity terms that is very helpful.

Learn about Rainbow Railroad’s pandemic-specific efforts

Rainbow Railroad helps gay, lesbian and transgender people escape attacks, kidnappings and even murder in places like Chechnya and Uganda. The organization helps rescue people facing “persecution based on their sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics,” according to its website.

COVID-19 has disproportionately affected many of the most vulnerable members of society, including LGBTQIA+ individuals who have been internally displaced or forced to flee their homes because of persecution.

As with most other organizations, Rainbow Railroad has adapted its work during the coronavirus pandemic. The nonprofit offers five branches of COVID-19 support, including lifesaving aid to individuals in imminent danger, emergency responsiveness to government crackdowns on LGBTQIA+ people, in-country resources and safety information for people at immediate risk, direct support to partner organizations and private sponsorships for refugees seeking asylum in the U.S. and Canada.

Furthermore, Rainbow Railroad is calling on governments worldwide to uphold the right to asylum, resume the resettlement of LGBTQIA+ refugees, release LGBTQIA+ asylum-seekers being held in detention centers and increase resources dedicated to supporting LGBTQIA+ refugees.

Donate directly to Rainbow Railroad here.

Rainbow Railroad announced The Points Guy as its top corporate partner. Brian Kelly and TPG matched $100,000 of donations for Rainbow Railroad.

You can still help by following this link: donate.rainbowrailroad.org/thepointsguy.

Related: Update on our efforts to save lives with Rainbow Railroad

Donate during Give Out Day

Give Out Day is a fundraising campaign that runs from June 1-30, 2022. The initiative has raised millions of dollars for more than 700 LGBTQIA+ organizations since 2013, and Rainbow Railroad has a dedicated fundraising page.

Rainbow Railroad relies on donations of money, as well as points and miles, to help facilitate rescue and rehabilitation missions for persecuted individuals. Escape missions are often dangerous, uncertain and complicated, and visas, safety concerns and other logistical issues will always be a problem for organizations like Rainbow Railroad. But your money and your miles can help defray the financial expenses associated with travel, which can represent the difference between life and death for hundreds of refugees.

So this June, celebrate Pride Month with TPG by supporting Rainbow Railroad. Please give what you can, and help us educate and inform ourselves and our communities to eradicate anti-gay discrimination and persecution.

Additional reporting by Mike Avila.