On Supporting Our Community, At Home And Abroad

Every time you book with us, you help LGBTQ+ refugees find safe haven.

We love to introduce our proud LGBTQ+ travellers to a literal world of new adventures. But this is a privilege not everybody in our community is afforded. Some live in places that are openly hostile to our community. Some lives are even at risk. That’s why, since Out Adventures launched in 2009, we’ve made it a point to support LGBTQ+ organizations, communities, and activists worldwide. In honour of Pride Month, we’re highlighting the causes we support and how our travellers act as a force for good.

Our Biggest Cause: Rainbow Railroad

In 2020, we launched our most important effort. For every guest who books with us, a $50 USD donation is made to Rainbow Railroad.

Featured on both 60 Minutes and Canada’s Drag Race, Rainbow Railroad is a charitable organization that helps resettle LGBTQ+ people who face persecution based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics. With over 120 million people worldwide displaced right now – the highest number since World War II – LGBTQ+ victims are especially vulnerable to persecution. Five years later, we’ve already donated $103,228 CAD (over $76,000 USD).

According to Executive Director Kimahli Powell, Rainbow Railroad has already helped over 19,000 LGBTQ+ individuals find safety through emergency relocation, crisis response, cash assistance, and other forms of aid. They are literally saving lives, and their mission is one of the most worthwhile causes we can support.

Helping Our Community At Home: Toronto People with AIDS Foundation

As a proudly Canadian-owned and operated company based in Toronto, we throw a festive annual fundraiser – the Holiday Homo Hurrah – to benefit the Toronto PWA (Toronto People With Aids Foundation).

This ‘party with a purpose’ not only collects financial donations, but also non-perishable food and clothing for the charity’s Essentials Market. It’s a vital community resource that provides staple food items, fresh produce, pet food, home start-up items, and more.

Thanks to the generosity of people like you in our hometown, we raise several thousand dollars every year for Toronto’s only food bank that exclusively serves people living with HIV/AIDS.

How We Support Communities We Visit

We make it a point to seek out and support local LGBTQ+ groups and communities abroad, especially in parts of the world where our dollars go a long way. Here are a few of our most beloved efforts:

India

Holi may be the only festival in the world more colourful than Pride. But when the festivities are over, Sharif Rangnekar continues to work tirelessly on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community as an activist, author, and publicist. We are proud to support him on our annual India trips by donating $50 USD per guest and purchasing a copy of his book for each guest in the group.

Cambodia

A Place To Be Yourself is a resource centre in Siem Reap, home of Angkor Wat, that supports the city’s LGBTQ+ community. Our recent Mekong Gay River Cruise included a visit to the centre, where we made a donation to help them continue their mission.

Originally, we intended to donate $2,000 USD, but a generous (and anonymous) guest found out about our planned donation the night before and added another $1,000 USD to the cause. This inspired the rest of our crew to open their hearts (and wallets), resulting in an outpouring of smaller donations that, in the end, totaled just over $4,000 USD. And in Cambodia, that money makes a massive difference.

Cuba

The Pearl of the Antilles, Cuba, is a beautiful country rich in spirit, but not without struggles. That’s why we support a group called Humanidad por la Diversidad, which works to educate locals on equality. Our travellers are invited to collect and bring items that support both the LGBTQ+ community and the people of the island. Donations they welcome include gently used laptops, unlocked smartphones, flash and portable hard drives, cameras with battery/charging cord/memory card, and rainbow flags of all sizes.

We also support the community theatre where this meeting is held. They are happy to collect anything theatrical: wigs, make-up, duct tape, paintbrushes, shoes, LED stage lights, microphones, large staplers, etc. Your donations help them bring the arts to life!

Raising Awareness In Less-Than-Welcoming Countries

Some countries we visit may be less welcoming (or openly hostile) to the LGBTQ+ community, with homophobic laws on the books and governments that do not prioritize equality. One of the most meaningful ways we can stand with our community members in these countries is simply by being there. Discrete grassroots interactions go a long way; honest conversations and interactions with locals help open hearts and minds.

At the same time, we must be mindful not to draw unwanted attention to LGBTQ+ locals, who could face repercussions not only from their government but also from their own family, simply for existing as part of the LGBTQ+ community. While showing up and being visible is important, so is using discretion.

For more information on why we visit these countries, see our blog post To Book…or Boycott?

Whether we’re helping to rescue at-risk individuals, supporting our community at home, or being visible in unexpected places, travelling with us means you will also play a part for good. And that’s something to be proud of.

In honour of Pride Month – cheers to you, from Out Adventures!