(LifeSiteNews) — Two Conservative MPs are set to host a July 15 boat cruise fundraiser for Rainbow Railroad, an organization that helps resettle “LGBTQI+ refugees” from around the world.
Scott Aitchison, member of Parliament for Parry Sound–Muskoka, and Melissa Lantsman, Conservative co-deputy leader and member of Parliament for Thornhill, posted a collaborative video in which they announced and promoted the upcoming Rainbow Railroad event.
My friend and Deputy Leader @MelissaLantsman and I are looking forward to seeing you aboard the Wenonah II on July 15 for a great afternoon in support of Rainbow Railroad.
Join us for a two-hour cruise on beautiful Lake Muskoka and help support the life-saving work Rainbow… pic.twitter.com/dBHO4f4s6C
— Scott Aitchison (@ScottAAitchison) June 19, 2026
The event – promoted as “Rainbow Railroad’s first ever cottage gathering” – is set to take place in Muskoka on July 15, hosted by the aforementioned Conservative MPs and their fellow MP Adam Chambers (Simcoe North).
The event website describes the gathering as a “special afternoon [that] brings our community together to connect, learn, and support the vital work of Rainbow Railroad.” Those attending will have the opportunity to “meet fellow supporters, hear more about the organization’s mission, and help advance efforts to assist LGBTQI+ refugees in Ontario and around the world.”
Going even further, the event will also “highlight the progress made in protecting LGBTQ+ people seeking safety,” in an “inspiring” afternoon highlighted by the “support of equality, safety, and freedom.”
Those wanting to attend this “beautiful” event will also be expected to pay a pretty penny, with tickets priced at $150 and sponsorship packages ranging from $1000 to $5000.
The Rainbow Railroad group is currently in the middle of its “pride MATCH” promotion, matching all donations during pride month, as they state that “(y)our gift is critical for queer and trans refugees!”
The organization’s website describes their main mission to be helping “LGBTQI+ people facing persecution based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics.”
Founded in 2006, Rainbow Railroad gained prominence as a volunteer-run organization consisting of a “diverse group of LGBTQI+ activists and human rights defenders who wanted to do more to address the levels of violence LGBTQI+ people face worldwide.” They hearken their name back to the “Underground Railroad,” comparing themselves to the network of 19th century activists who helped black people escape enslavement in the American South. They received charitable status from Canada in 2013 and the United States in 2015, scaling up operations around that time.
In a quote given to The Canadian Press, Aitchison made an appeal to faith and religion as an explanation for hosting the event, declaring, “We’re all God’s creatures and we’re all loved, and we all deserve to be loved and we all deserve to feel safe and secure, I believe that it’s important for all of us to — not to preach that, but to demonstrate that.”
Aitchison – a former Conservative Party leadership candidate – is quite openly blue liberal, with numerous public statements and positions declaring his staunch support for abortion and pro-LGBT activism.
The Parry Sound-Muskoka MP and Shadow Minister for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion has publicly stated that he will “always defend a woman’s right to choose,” arguing that “any efforts to restrict access to abortion would have terrible consequences for the health of women, families.” He also joined opposition parties in issuing a statement on “International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia” and has supported banning conversion therapy and ending the blood ban for homosexual men.
Melissa Lantsman, a lesbian, is currently the “second-in-command” to Pierre Poilievre, serving as the co-deputy leader of the Conservative Party alongside Edmonton Gateway MP Tim Uppal.
The Thornhill MP also has one of the clearest blue liberal track records of any Conservative member of Parliament, perhaps most obviously displayed in a 2019 post for “Transgender Day of Visibility.”
Also in 2019, Lantsman co-wrote an op-ed criticizing Andrew Scheer for his conservative Christian stance on “LGBTQ rights,” arguing that then-leader of the party would have to be more “inclusive” to win an election. As recently as 2023, Lantsman advocated for the isolation of Uganda after their passage of “anti-LGBTQ laws” and attended the raising of a pride flag on Parliament Hill.
Adam Chambers – the third Conservative MP to join in co-hosting the Rainbow Railroad event – does not appear to have a socially progressive track record.
The event appears to be another example of the socially progressive, often-described “woke” wing of the Conservative Party promoting their agenda. This continued pattern has alienated many in the socially conservative, Christian wing of the party, leading to a growing political apathy from a significant portion of the typically Conservative voting group.
Poilievre’s leadership has largely allowed the party’s socially progressive voices to remain prevalent. Though he has recently denied any plans to attend pride events and showed more socially conservative stances than previously seen, Poilievre has opted for a “big tent” approach that remains steeped in social liberalism.