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A Queer Rescue Odyssey

Spark Shoalhaven

30 Nov 2024 — 4 min read

by Erica Graham /

Straight Out of Berry - How a straight white woman from Berry wound up rescuing queer people halfway around the world.

It all started with my vision board, a yearly collage of dreams and goals.

Returning to Berry after two decades away, I felt a bit disconnected and uneasy about the idea of retirement, not wanting my world to become too small.

So, I wrote down, "Make a Difference on a Global level."

I didn’t know what that meant, but it sounded like a good idea at the time

Fast forward four months - I got a call from a friend who asked if she could connect me with someone trying to bring trans students from Texas to universities in Australia, as it had become increasingly unsafe for them at home.

She thought I might help as I'm an advocate and the proud mom of a queer child.

After a long conversation, I was staggered by how bad things had gotten.

Rescuing trans kids from America? "Trans Rescue" kept echoing in my mind.

So, in a moment of insomnia-fueled curiosity, I did what anyone would do at 2 am!

I Googled it, and there it was, Trans Rescue, an incredible organisation dedicated to extracting queer individuals from life-threatening situations globally.

This discovery felt like a bolt of lightning - this was exactly what I should be doing.

I sent them an email, and within a couple of weeks, I was Strategy Director for Trans Rescue.

Trans Rescue is an organization that helps queer people out of life-threatening situations in countries like Syria, Afghanistan, Uganda, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Indonesia.

We relocate them to safer places, where they can seek asylum.

Sadly, LGBTQ people face criminalisation in 70 countries, with many at risk of the death penalty.

Amnesty International tracks thousands imprisoned globally, with over 90% reporting routine torture and sexual abuse due to their gender identity.

For many, seeking asylum is their only hope. That’s where Trans Rescue comes in.

Since our inception just under three years ago, our all-volunteer team has rescued 148 people from some of the world's most hostile environments on a budget of around $100,000.

Let me tell you about my first rescue involvement.

Our CEO called me about a 26-year-old trans person from Saudi Arabia, locked in his room for over three years, enduring abuse, medical, and conversion therapy.

When the family travelled to Japan, we seized the opportunity to help him escape.

An operative in Tokyo was ready; we just needed funds. Overnight, I was able to raise the money.

Our operative successfully extracted him from the hotel. Over two weeks, we moved him daily until his family gave up searching.

The Japanese government granted him asylum and even secured him an apartment as their hostels didn’t accommodate non-binary people.

Now, he's living freely, and we even connected him with a queer skateboarding group for support.

That's the incredible work I'm fortunate to be a part of every day.

However, for every person like the young man we helped escape from Saudi Arabia, countless others we can't reach due to limited resources and funding.

Our dedicated team is small, and the risk of burnout is a very real concern.

My vision is to secure the resources and funding necessary to ensure we’re here for the long haul. Ultimately, my greatest hope is that someday, our work will no longer be needed.

I’d like to leave you a few thoughts...

1. You're never too old or too straight to make a difference across the globe.

2. If our cause resonates with you, reach out. We greatly appreciate time, skills, or donations. Email erica@transrescue.org or go to our website.