"My name is Amanda. I'm a trans woman currently trying to escape the ongoing massacres in my home country, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). I am writing to let you know about the critical situation LGBT+ people are facing here.
Since the beginning of the year, the Congolese army has been fighting an armed rebel group called M23. More than half a million people have been forced to flee their homes in search of safety.
LGBT+ people are disproportionately affected. People blame us for instigating the war. They think the conflict is a result of "God's anger" against queer people and that we hinder a "divine intervention" to end the war. Many of the camps and relief stations for those of us who have been forced out of our homes do not accept LGBT+ people. If they do, we're still at risk of transphobic and homophobic violence.
The only place we can turn to is Rainbow Sunrise Mapambazuko, one of the few organizations providing emergency support to LGBT+ individuals fleeing the conflict and massacres. They're offering shelter, medicine, food, and other urgent support to those in need. But they are running out of funds.
I ended up at a displacement site near Goma, only to be turned away and beaten when others refused to share a space with me. I was attacked, threatened, and sexually violated. Eventually, fearing for our safety, me and my two trans sisters had to leave the camp and seek shelter on the streets of Goma before finding sanctuary with the Rainbow Sunrise Mapambazuko organization in Bukavu.
But there are many more people in need of support and safety.
Donate now to help Rainbow Sunrise Mapambazuko provide essential support like shelter, medicine, and food to LGBT+ individuals fleeing violence in the DRC.
Together, we can offer a lifeline to those in need and show solidarity with the LGBT+ community in the DRC."
SOURCES:
●︎ Escalating Violence in Democratic Republic of Congo Exacerbating Humanitarian Crisis, Special Representative Warns Security Council, Urging Durable Political Solution – UN Press Release, 20 February 2024
● Violence in eastern Congo has displaced millions. Some end up at this camp – NPR, 5 April 2024
● DR. Congo: Violent homophobic ambush in Bukavu – 76 Crimes, 24 March 2024