When the newly formed Rainbow Kings and Queens had their first gathering in the Niagara Room at Cathedral Place in March, there was an overflow of both joy and numbers.
We planned for 30 and 42 people showed up. By April, we moved to Myler Hall, planning for 50 and we had 72 people arrive. By May, we planned for 90 and levelled out around 80. There are now, however, over 200 on the Rainbow Kings and Queens WhatsApp group!
The levelling out to the in-person gatherings comes largely because so many of these refugee claimants, 90% from Uganda but also numbers from Kenya, Ghana, Rwanda, and Nigeria, are settling into homes instead of shelters and finding work.
The Rainbow Kings and Queens started with a furniture delivery program out of St. James, Dundas. Lynn Dykeman, a long-time parishioner with her partner, Nora, started hearing of newcomers needing beds and she swung into action. By the time I heard about it, they were two months in. I simply volunteered to drive a U-Haul every other Tuesday back in January.
Then one day, one of the volunteer movers (they are usually men who were living in shelters and without a work permit) came out to me as gay. The next week, a guy we delivered furniture to greeted us in a toque with a rainbow flag on the side. He asked for help with his immigration case so Lynn and I met him for a coffee.
“How many of the people we’re delivering furniture to might be gay or lesbian,” I asked Herbert.
“Oh, so many,” he exclaimed in reply.
When I suggested we find a way to connect and perhaps gather in person, he said, “that’s the best idea you’ve ever had!”
By that night, there were 12 people who identified as gay, lesbian, or bisexual on the WhatsApp group Herbert started. He gave it the name, Rainbow Kings and Queens. By the end of the week there were 50.
How did this happen? Well, most of them credit Prime Minister Justin Trudeau by name. It was a decision of the Canadian government to partner with the Rainbow Railroad just after the Anti-Homosexuality Act was passed in Uganda in May of 2023. This government policy change would make it easier for LGBTQ+ refugee claimants to make their way into Canada.
The fact that they now have over 200 on their WhatsApp group shows the success of that policy. Why they came to Hamilton is often credited to the Uber drivers who picked them up at Pearson International Airport. Many of them report being told the shelters in Toronto are full and they should try Hamilton instead.
In June, during the diocesan’s annual Pride celebration, Fiercely Loved, about 20 of the RKQs danced their way up the aisle for the procession song, Speed. The song talks about the needs of people and how God responds with speed, as in Godspeed. They were all sporting rainbow tie-dyed shirts with the new RKQ logo. They wore the same shirts to the Dyke March and the Pride Parade in Toronto at the end of June.
Lynn continues to support the group by offering job fairs and we both assist with resumes. The monthly meetings include a Ugandan meal cooked by 4 or 5 women, some of who have been assisted by St. Matthew’s House to get their safe food handling certificate. St. Matthew’s House also pays for the food and one staff member from the Cathedral Café team to help during the evening. Guest speakers have included the 2SLGBTQI+ liaison officer from Hamilton Police Services, a doctor and counsellor on physical and mental health, and a labour rights educator.
Over the summer, many of them will take a tennis lesson at Rosedale Tennis Club, thanks to the generosity of the club pros who will lead it. They are also all invited to a free BBQ put on by Hamilton Police Services as a lead-up to local Pride celebrations the next day. The Rainbow Kings and Queens will be overflowing in numbers and in love and laughter as they experience Hamilton Pride down at Waterfront Park.
All in all, the joy experienced by the Rainbow Kings and Queens through the freedom they have in Canada is infectious. They are so happy to have settled here and many worship with the Anglican community at St. James, Dundas, at Christ’s Church Cathedral, and at All Saints Mission.
If you’d like to find out more or make a donation to support this work,
please contact Deirdre Pike at [email protected].
Rainbow Kings and Queens Find Refuge in the Diocese of Niagara
When the newly formed Rainbow Kings and Queens had their first gathering in the Niagara Room at Cathedral Place in March, there was an overflow of both joy and numbers.
We planned for 30 and 42 people showed up. By April, we moved to Myler Hall, planning for 50 and we had 72 people arrive. By May, we planned for 90 and levelled out around 80. There are now, however, over 200 on the Rainbow Kings and Queens WhatsApp group!
The levelling out to the in-person gatherings comes largely because so many of these refugee claimants, 90% from Uganda but also numbers from Kenya, Ghana, Rwanda, and Nigeria, are settling into homes instead of shelters and finding work.
The Rainbow Kings and Queens started with a furniture delivery program out of St. James, Dundas. Lynn Dykeman, a long-time parishioner with her partner, Nora, started hearing of newcomers needing beds and she swung into action. By the time I heard about it, they were two months in. I simply volunteered to drive a U-Haul every other Tuesday back in January.
Then one day, one of the volunteer movers (they are usually men who were living in shelters and without a work permit) came out to me as gay. The next week, a guy we delivered furniture to greeted us in a toque with a rainbow flag on the side. He asked for help with his immigration case so Lynn and I met him for a coffee.
“How many of the people we’re delivering furniture to might be gay or lesbian,” I asked Herbert.
“Oh, so many,” he exclaimed in reply.
When I suggested we find a way to connect and perhaps gather in person, he said, “that’s the best idea you’ve ever had!”
By that night, there were 12 people who identified as gay, lesbian, or bisexual on the WhatsApp group Herbert started. He gave it the name, Rainbow Kings and Queens. By the end of the week there were 50.
How did this happen? Well, most of them credit Prime Minister Justin Trudeau by name. It was a decision of the Canadian government to partner with the Rainbow Railroad just after the Anti-Homosexuality Act was passed in Uganda in May of 2023. This government policy change would make it easier for LGBTQ+ refugee claimants to make their way into Canada.
The fact that they now have over 200 on their WhatsApp group shows the success of that policy. Why they came to Hamilton is often credited to the Uber drivers who picked them up at Pearson International Airport. Many of them report being told the shelters in Toronto are full and they should try Hamilton instead.
Lynn continues to support the group by offering job fairs and we both assist with resumes. The monthly meetings include a Ugandan meal cooked by 4 or 5 women, some of who have been assisted by St. Matthew’s House to get their safe food handling certificate. St. Matthew’s House also pays for the food and one staff member from the Cathedral Café team to help during the evening. Guest speakers have included the 2SLGBTQI+ liaison officer from Hamilton Police Services, a doctor and counsellor on physical and mental health, and a labour rights educator.
Over the summer, many of them will take a tennis lesson at Rosedale Tennis Club, thanks to the generosity of the club pros who will lead it. They are also all invited to a free BBQ put on by Hamilton Police Services as a lead-up to local Pride celebrations the next day. The Rainbow Kings and Queens will be overflowing in numbers and in love and laughter as they experience Hamilton Pride down at Waterfront Park.
All in all, the joy experienced by the Rainbow Kings and Queens through the freedom they have in Canada is infectious. They are so happy to have settled here and many worship with the Anglican community at St. James, Dundas, at Christ’s Church Cathedral, and at All Saints Mission.
If you’d like to find out more or make a donation to support this work,
please contact Deirdre Pike at [email protected].
Deirdre Pike is the diocese’s Justice and Outreach Program Consultant. She also serves on the Social Planning and Research Council of Hamilton, and is a regular contributor to the Hamilton Spectator.
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