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- 29 LGBT Afghans have been evacuated to the UK after the Taliban said their rights wouldn't be upheld.
- The move was orchestrated by the UK government and charities Stonewall and Rainbow Railroad.
- "I am trying to figure out where to start my new life, but man, I feel safe and free!" said one of the refugees.
A flight of LGBT Afghans arrived in the UK, following a mission from the government and gay rights organizations to move them to safety, it was confirmed.
Since the fall of Kabul on August 15, several governments, NGOs, and charities have been working on getting people out of Afghanistan who may be vulnerable under the Taliban.
Insider's Joshua Zitser and Alia Shoaib documented how the LGBT community is living in fear under the Taliban, too scared even to leave their homes.
As a result, the UK Government, British charity Stonewall, and the Canadian organization Rainbow Railroad have evacuated 29 gay Afghans, which they say they hope to be "the first of many." The refugees landed Friday.
"Since the fall of Kabul, Rainbow Railroad has been leading efforts to find safety for LGBTQI+ Afghans facing grave danger," said Kimahli Powell, Executive Director of Rainbow Railroad.
Speaking to the BBC, one evacuated man said that he feels "like a human being for the first time" now he has arrived in the UK.
"I am trying to figure out where to start my new life, but man, I feel safe and free!" he said.
Among the group are students and activists who have repeatedly stood up for equality for the LGBT community in Afghanistan, said a UK government statement.
Homosexuality has never been legal in Afghanistan. However, members of the LGBT community told Insider that they felt relatively safe before the Taliban victory.
The arrival of this group to the UK follows the Taliban finance ministry spokesman Ahmad Wali Haqmal telling Reuters that LGBT rights would not be upheld in Afghanistan.