Trans Rescue is a global, volunteer-run organisation helping transgender, intersex, and queer people escape life-threatening danger and reach safety.
We work in more than 70 countries where being LGBTQ+ can mean imprisonment, violence, or worse. When people contact us, it is often because they have no safe options left.
We coordinate safe, legal routes out of dangerous environments—providing relocation support, guidance, and crisis response to help people start again in safer places.
To date, we have helped over 186 people reach safety through emergency coordination, travel support, and legal pathways.
We don’t just give advice.
We help people get out.
We are a 98% volunteer organisation, based in the Netherlands and supported by an international network of committed and trusted individuals.
How We Work
We help people leave dangerous situations and reach safety through legal, coordinated routes.
We are not smugglers.
We do not forge documents.
We do not operate outside the law.
Instead, we work across borders to:
- plan safe journeys
- navigate complex systems
- coordinate travel and relocation
This work is difficult, often urgent, and sometimes dangerous.
But the goal is always the same:
get people to safety as quickly and safely as possible.
Our Impact
Every number represents a real person who moved closer to safety.
- 186+ people safely relocated through emergency coordination, travel support, and legal pathways
- Thousands supported through relocation guidance, Office Hours, safety planning, visa information, and crisis assistance
- 70+ countries reached, including some of the most dangerous environments for LGBTQ+ people
- 98% volunteer-run, powered by a global network across multiple time zones
For many, reaching us is the final step after every other option has failed. In some cases, relocation is the difference between life and death, imprisonment, or long-term harm.
This work is urgent, complex, and emotionally demanding—but it changes lives.
Who We Help
We were founded to support trans people, but we assist anyone who is unsafe because of their gender identity, expression, or association.
This includes:
- Transgender people
- Intersex people
- Gay and queer individuals
- Family members at risk
We prioritise those in the most dangerous situations.
Check out stories of those we have helped, and some recent passengers, and some still waiting.
Our Structure
We are a volunteer-led organisation with a small core leadership team and a wider international network.
Meet the Management Team
Anne Ogborn: Chair, Managing Board
Anne Ogborn, co-founder of Trans Rescue, is an activist for transgender rights since the 1980s. She was part of the Human Rights Ordinance Project and prison reform initiatives in the 1980s. In 1991, she organized the first Womyn’s Music Festival protest. She was one of the founders of Transgender Nation, Queer Nation San Francisco’s transgender focus group.
Jenny List: former Treasurer
Jenny is a dedicated advocate for union and transgender rights, serving as a contributing editor and European correspondent at Hackaday.com. With a strong background in electronic engineering, she is a skilled technical writer and editor, and also designs electronic hardware and creates language analysis software.
Jenny was on our managing board until recently. She resigned to avoid a conflict of interest while she was working on the How To Get Out book (we paid for her labor for this). She remains a core volunteer for Trans Rescue.
Rebecca Barton: Secretary, Managing Board
Rebecca has experience working with displaced people and spent time volunteering in the infamous Calais Jungle refugee camp with the project “Caravans for Calais.” She trained in social work and quietly campaigns for LGBTQI+ rights in faith-based organizations across the UK.
Dražen Popović: Security Specialist, Treasurer, Managing Board
Dražen is a software engineer with a master’s in computer science from the University of Zagreb. He has a decade-long cybersecurity career, specializing in building threat detection software. A passionate advocate for dignity, equality, and freedom, he brings a unique perspective to Trans Rescue.
Erica Graham: Head of Strategy, Advisory Board
Erica is a dedicated human rights advocate and the Founder and Creative Director of Brave Communications. She was involved in a landmark case that removed the requirement for minors to go to court to transition. Erica has also served on several private sector boards as well as nonprofit boards that champion life-saving causes.
Simon Ng’ang’a: Legal Counsel
Simon is a skilled lawyer from Kenya, specializing in human rights and immigration law. With extensive experience aiding vulnerable populations globally, he is dedicated to championing the rights of marginalized individuals. Simon’s work includes providing legal counsel and resources to ensure fair treatment for those in need.
Our Partners
Trans Rescue collaborates with a network of organizations worldwide to support the LGBTQI+ community. Our partners include:
- Immigration and Refugee Support: Partner organizations within Germany, US, France, Netherlands.
- Government Relations: Strong ties with COA and IND in the Netherlands, immigration authorities in France, and a growing network around the world.
- On-the-Ground Allies: Brave individuals operating in dangerous countries.
- Collaborative Efforts: Other organizations engaged in similar work.