End Religious-Based LGBTQ2S Hate

We need your support to end religious-based discrimination of LGBTQ2S+ people in Canada.

As an emerging not for profit organization, Rainbow Faith and Freedom (RFF) is confronting the most vocal and influential source of discrimination against LGBTQ2S+ people – religious leaders and communities who weaponize their beliefs to justify exclusion.

LGBTQ2S+ people in Canada have some of the best legal protections in the world yet many continue to face discrimination from religious communities, faith leaders and religious social services. The shared experience of LGBTQ2S+ people from a broad spectrum of faiths shows how important it is to have an organized, multi-faith and community-centred approach to fighting faith-based discrimination. This is all the more important today as the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted 2SLGBTQ+ people, leading to higher rates of mental health issues and economic marginalization.

Although Canada is home to some of the most queer-friendly cities in the world many LGBTQ2S+ communities are proudly secular and make queer people of faith feel unwelcome. For these organizations and communities, being truly inclusive should allow for individuals to be open about their intersecting identities, including their faith.

We are fundraising to expand our Canadian Program at Rainbow Faith and Freedom which will tackle these issues head on.

Donations will be used to fund important activities that are a part of Rainbow Faith and Freedom’s Canada Program including:

Workshops and Seminars on Inclusion

RFF is providing educational workshops on human rights, including equity and inclusion for LGBTQ2S+ people of faith. These workshops will be geared towards the leaders, staff, and members LGBTQ2S+ organizations and faith communities and organizations (such as Pride organizations, HIV/AIDS Prevention and Support organizations, places of worship, and religious-affiliated schools and hospitals). The purpose of the workshops is to teach participants to understand, confront, and ultimately end religious-based LGBTQ2S+ discrimination and then to help them to be proactively inclusive of LGBTQ2S+ people of faith.

Community Programming

RFF will provide community programming from coast-to-coast-to-coast that will create inclusive, safer spaces for LGBTQ2S+ individuals to be their authentic complete selves in a supporting and affirming environment. These programming events will include book clubs, panel discussions, community gatherings and more.

LGBTQ2S+ and Faith Inclusion Manual

RFF is committed to researching, developing, and distributing a LGBTQ2S+ and Faith Inclusion Manual that provides guidance to individuals, leaders, and organizations who want to learn to change the hearts and minds of their communities to be accepting and affirming of LGBTQ2S+ people and people of faith.

Today, we are asking for your help to build RFF, so we can expand our Canadian program. Join the RFF movement to end religious-based discrimination, homophobia and transphobia, and support fairer treatment of LGBTQ2S+ people in Canada. We must do more than merely condemn expressions and acts of discrimination. We must dig deeper. And we must act.

Your donation will change lives and help us work toward a Canada and a world free from religious-based LGBTQ2S+ discrimination. Our sincerest thanks in advance. Your donation is greatly appreciated and will be used to improve the lives of LGBTQ2S+ people in Canada. You can donate online here.

For more information about RFF please visit: https://rainbowfaithandfreedom.org