The Rainbow Association (Asociación Arcoiris) was founded in 2003 with the commitment to empower and inform the #LGBTTTI community on issues concerning comprehensive health and the defense and promotion of human rights related to sexual diversity.

This work has involved many security incidents to the Association members, including a number of murders and the need to seek exile outside the country, as in the case of Donny Reyes, Coordinator of Technical Support, who has been granted precautionary measures by the Inter-American Human Rights Commission (IACHR).

Between July 2015 and January 2016, the Rainbow Association reported 36 security incidents, including five murders, as well as threats, surveillance, and harassment of leaders and members of the organization.

In January 2016 alone, there have been seven attacks, including the murder of Paola Barraza, member of the group of trans women known as Grupo Muñecas, who served on the Board of Directors for eight years, and the murder of Estefanía Zúniga, which took place on January 20 and 24, respectively.

June 2015 saw the murder of Grupo Muñecas Coordinator Angie Ferreira, followed by that of eyewitness Violeta R, one month later. In December 2015, her substitute, Kendry Hilton, received death threats, and that same month, Rainbow Association Coordinator Esdra Yaveth Sosa Sierra was obliged to leave Tegucigalpa due to security risks. Josselin Janet Aceituno Suazo and Henry Matamoros were killed after being kidnapped and tortured on October 5 and November 14, respectively.

The Mesoamerican Initiative of Women Human Rights Defenders (IM-Defensoras) expresses our concern over the extremely high risk situation faced in Honduras by #LGBTTTI rights defenders, especially the members of the Rainbow Association. Likewise, we demand that the Honduras government enforce compliance with the IACHR precautionary measures and guarantee the safety of all defenders of the #LGBTTTI community.