Michael Murphy, HBA ’02, is an activist for LGBTQ refugees, volunteering with the charity Rainbow Railroad as a board director since 2012.
An exchange to Switzerland in his final year at Ivey led Michael Murphy to marketing roles across Europe, meeting LGBTQ activists, and an avocation that saves lives.
Returning to Toronto in 2009, he formed a small group to privately sponsor LGBTQ refugees in coming to Canada. “What motivated me was paying back the debt of gratitude I have to people from the past who put their lives at risk to fight for the rights I enjoy.”
An opportunity to help in a larger way came from an invitation to join Rainbow Railroad, a grassroots group started in 2006 to help a gay Palestinian man after his family had attempted an honour killing. In 2012, the group received registered charitable status and raised $50,000 to help get five individuals to safety. A meteoric rise in 2017 enabled them to raise $2 million and help more than 200 people escape persecution.
“We focus on helping people whose lives are in immediate danger. Working with local activists, we find people with legitimate claims, then plan the routes to safety, and provide resources to get there,” he explains.
He credits Ivey for more than his skills in developing the brand and raising funding. “Learning how to deal with an overwhelming amount of information and make the best possible decision without having all the answers has been critical.” Rainbow Railroad successfully acted in lobbying the Canadian government to help 50 people facing threats in Chechnya recently. “If we had waited for all the answers, people would have died,” Murphy says.
Now helping Rainbow Railroad grow into an international NGO as Chair of Rainbow Railroad USA and U.K., in addition to his day job as Marketing Director for Avenue Road, Murphy doesn’t mind the extra hours. “It’s the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done, even without ever earning a cent.”
Photo: Nation Wong
Art Direction: Greg Salmela, Aegis
