Transgender woman fleeing Jamaica finds safety in Canada

Terry-Kay Walker, 38, was coming home from a fashion show in New Kingston when a man stopped her and a friend on the road. They ran. Then came gunshots.

"I heard a shot being fired, but I didn't feel it because it happened so fast," Walker told CityNews. "Then my friend told me that I was bleeding. And that's when I noticed that I was shot in the leg."

Walker says she was targeted because of her gender identity. In Jamaica, where violence against LGBTQ+ people is pervasive, she faced persistent discrimination that forced her onto the streets and into sex work. The final blow came in 2024 when she received a text from an unknown number with a video showing a friend and fellow transgender woman being murdered. The message read: "I know where you live and you're next."

When asked if she'd reported the attacks to police, Walker was blunt: "Jamaica is a homophobic country. Police take advantage of LGBTQ+ people. They will not take our reports."

She reached out to Rainbow Railroad, a Toronto-based advocacy group that helps LGBTQ+ people facing displacement and state-enabled persecution. The organization received a record-breaking number of requests last year — a 51 per cent increase from 2024, and the highest in its 20-year history.

"The volume of requests for help that we are receiving is concerning," said Devon Matthews, Chief Programs Officer at Rainbow Railroad. "It's a 51 per cent increase from 2024 year over year, and it's the highest in the organization's 20-year history."

According to a report released on June 20, which marks World Refugee Day, the organization received more than 20,000 requests for help in 2025 from individuals in countries spanning from the United States to Uganda.

After verifying Walker's injuries and evidence, Rainbow Railroad worked quickly to help her secure a new passport and flee Jamaica. She is now rebuilding her life in Canada, away from the violence that nearly killed her.