An Evening in Damascus: Rainbow Refugee’s growth

For over two decades, Rainbow Refugee has worked to facilitate safe passage to Canada for people fleeing persecution based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and HIV status.

But much has changed for the group over the 22 years since its beginning.

“For most of those years actually, [Rainbow Refugee] was run by a really dedicated and passionate volunteer board who did things off the side of their desks, in their living rooms, in their basements. It was really a passion project to support folks,” explained Andrea Arnot.

In 2021, Arnot says the organization was able to begin paying several staff, including directors, for their work.

“So in a very short, short time period, we’ve grown really rapidly.”

Read more about An Evening in Damascus:

• An Evening in Damascus to celebrate successes of LGBTQ+ refugees

• Cultures coming together to support queer, trans refugees

• An Evening in Damascus returns to Vancouver to celebrate, help LGBTQ Syrian refugees

Growth has meant the ability to expand programs and supports, with Rainbow Refugee also seeing a lot of funding for its Circles of Hope program come in through RBC Presents: An Evening in Damascus, an annual event that is set to enter its eighth year this September.

The event was founded by Danny Ramadan, who came to Canada as an LGBTQ+ refugee from Syria through Rainbow Refugee. The fundraising evening has helped raise more than $250,000 for the organization to date.

“Evening in Damascus is such a lovely event and it’s just a lovely story of Danny Ramadan coming to Canada through Rainbow Refugee, settling into life and becoming who he is, the author that he is today, and then wanting to give back by doing this event,” Arnot explained.

She notes An Evening in Damascus has similar beginnings to Rainbow Refugee, starting out as small gatherings in basements and growing into an annual fundraiser that hosts hundreds of attendees each time.

‘We’re not saving them, they are determining their own migration process’

Arnot tells CityNews Rainbow Refugee works to empower the people it helps. She adds work begins with the people.

“We are here to support our refugee members in their process. We’re not helping them, we’re not saving them, they are determining their own migration process. We are here to just provide the container of supports and navigating processes and systems,” she explained.

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“It’s a way of thinking that we have about our members, that they are determining their future and making decisions on their own. We’re here to provide that support.”

That support takes on many forms through various programs. Work continues after refugees arrive in Canada, with Rainbow Refugee helping people with things like understanding procedural processes, navigate legal and other frameworks, and interpretation supports.

For Arnot, the work is all worth it because of the people.

“We had a young man stop by our office and just say, ‘I just arrived last night. I’ve left everything — my parents, my mom. I’m scared. I don’t know what’s going to happen next.’ It was a day that we didn’t have someone available for an appointment right then, so myself and our admin coordinator just listened,” she recalled.

She offered the man a hug.

“He said, ‘Yes, I just need a hug.’ He just needed reassurance that there was going to be someone here in this strange city of Vancouver and a safe place to come. Now, this person actually participated in the Pride parade recently and is going through the process and found housing and working with us. Moments like that make the work totally worthwhile.”

The joy and successes that many of these people find after being in Canada is something An Evening in Damascus plans to celebrate this year, putting a focus on an aspect of the refugee process that many may not think about.

“This year, instead of focusing on the sad stories that we stereotypically think of when we think of immigrants and refugees — like wars and destruction and those kind of challenges — I wanted to focus on joy and happiness and the beauty of managing to be both a Syrian and a Canadian person. The joy of walking that thin line and being so good at it,” Ramadan explained.

In addition to focusing on joy, this year’s event will also feature Ramadan’s latest book launch, with all proceeds going to Rainbow Refugee to help further the organization’s work.

“I think it’s beautiful to be able to offer this space where people can buy my new book but also support an independent book seller and donate back into the cause that they care about a lot,” Ramadan added.

An Evening in Damascus is being held at The Terminal City Club on Friday, Sept. 9 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. You can buy tickets here.

This event is proudly supported by CityNews.