Youth sector rainbow collective calls on government to prioritise rainbow communities
In the lead up to the 2020 General Election, ten of New Zealand’s leading rainbow organisations have written to the government outlining some key issues that are facing rainbow communities in Aotearoa.
Representing a large body of advocates for rainbow communities, the Youth Sector Rainbow Collective comprises of RainbowYOUTH, InsideOUT, OUTLine NZ, Waikato Queer Youth, QTopia, Gender Minorities Aotearoa, Dunedin Pride, Te Ngākau Kahukura, Intersex Youth Aotearoa, Outer Spaces & Q Youth.
With a focus on human rights, health and wellbeing, and education, the Youth Sector Rainbow Collective’s demands include an informed consent model of care for gender affirming healthcare, a ban on conversion therapy, a national mental health strategy and providing emergency housing for rainbow young people amongst other key issues. The list has been sent to The Parliamentary Rainbow Network alongside the current Health, Statistics & Education Ministers.
“We’ve worked hard as a Collective to develop this list of actions, which are realistic and meaningful moves that the government could make in the next term. We welcome the opportunity to work alongside the incoming government to implement these recommendations in the next three years,” said Frances Arns, Executive Director at RainbowYOUTH
"It has been disappointing to see that there are very few parties with policies that support rainbow communities ahead of the upcoming election,” said Tabby Besley, Managing Director of InsideOUT. "Rainbow communities are disproportionately impacted by discrimination in Aotearoa and therefore disadvantaged in workplaces, healthcare settings and schools. There is still work to be done to achieve legal human rights for trans, non-binary and intersex New Zealanders and to protect our communities from things like conversion therapy. Our collective would like to see more political parties take a stand in support of this."
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