Take Take Take It All, But You Never Give: How to give back to Aotearoa’s LGBTQIA+ community
It's time to give back to Aotearoa's queer community and I'll tell you exactly how to do it. No more excuses, only action!
From “Slay” to Chappell Roan, you’ve taken enough from the queer community. It’s time to give back. Here is a rundown of local charities and initiatives that you can get involved in to help the LGBTQIA+ community in Aotearoa.
InsideOUT
Learn more: insideout.org.nz
About InsideOUT: InsideOUT is a charity that focuses on providing support for LGBTQIA+ and takatāpui communities through providing resources, counselling, and education. They aim to create an Aotearoa that is a safe space for rainbow youth.
How to help: InsideOUT takes youth volunteers (anyone under the age of 27) to help in multiple areas, from helping with the workshops they run, to helping with filming and editing content, and aiding with graphic design for all you creatives out there. They also have a board of trustees that is made of youth volunteers to help InsideOUT operate on a ‘for youth, by youth’ basis. If you want to help support InsideOUT and receive something in return, you can head to their online store to purchase a range of merchandise such as stickers, tote bags, and pride flags. They also accept donations through card or bank transfer, or you can set up an automatic donation on a weekly / monthly / yearly basis!
Gender Minorities Aotearoa
Learn more: genderminorities.com
About Gender Minorities Aotearoa: A nationwide organisation that focuses on supporting New Zealand’s Transgender community, including binary, non-binary, irawhiti takatāpui, and intersex trans people. Operating on a ‘for transgender people, by transgender people’ basis, they provide a range of services for Transgender people such as: free counselling, social events, free facial hair removal, aid in finding housing (including emergency housing), legal advice, and so much more.
How to help: You can get involved on a small scale through sharing their posts on Facebook or recommending a healthcare provider (only if you know a great trans safe healthcare provider). They also accept monetary donations, donations of old clothes, or you can buy items on their wishlist available on their website! If you would like hands-on involvement, GMA has a guide on how to host a fundraising event, or you can browse through their calls to action under the ‘activism’ section of their website.
Rainbow Path NZ
Learn more: rainbowpathnz.com
About Rainbow Path Aotearoa NZ: Rainbow Path is an advocacy and peer support group for LGBTQIA+ asylum seekers and refugees in New Zealand. They provide concise information regarding accessing healthcare, where to find financial support, and how to change your name and gender in NZ. They advocate for legislative and practical changes to support rainbow refugees and asylum seekers, and aim to improve allies' awareness of the issues facing LGBTQIA+ refugees and asylum seekers.
How to help: Engage with Rainbow Path on Facebook to keep up to date with their campaigns and share posts to boost awareness. They also share specific calls for support on their Facebook which range from helping someone move houses or aiding someone to practice their driving. You can donate to Rainbow Path via bank transfer, the details are available under the ‘get involved’ section of their website!
RainbowYOUTH
Learn more: ry.org.nz
About RainbowYOUTH: Committed to creating diverse and inclusive environments, RainbowYOUTH works with 13-27 year olds to support queer, gender diverse, takatāpui and intersex youth. RY provides confidential peer support regarding gender and sexuality that considers “hauora, resilience, cultural identities and individual journeys”. They also run a drop-in centre on Fridays from 2 pm to 4 pm at 10 Abbey Street, Auckland CBD where they host workshops, activities, and just provide a safe space to hang out and socialise. At the drop-in center, you are also able to access their community wardrobe for gender affirming clothes, and can use Gender Minorities Aotearoa’s hair removal service for Transgender people that runs in collaboration with Rainbow Youth.
How to help: RainbowYOUTH accepts donations of “clothing, new or quality makeup and skincare, and gender-affirming items like binders” for their community wardrobes. These donations can be done as an in-person drop-off or can be sent via courier by purchasing a ‘wardrobe clear-out kit’ available on their website under the ‘community wardrobe’ section. You can also start a fundraiser for RainbowYOUTH, or make a one-off or monthly donation by heading to ry-community.raisely.com
OutLine NZ
Learn more: outline.org.nz
About OutLine: OutLine is focused on supporting Aotearoa’s rainbow communities' mental health by running a confidential support line (0800 688 5463) and an online chat support service every day from 6 pm to 9 pm. They are committed to supporting “Takatāpui, MVPFAFF+, Rainbow communities, their friends, whānau, and those questioning”. Additionally, OutLine runs two peer support groups. One is a Transgender peer support service in Auckland that is available to all transgender, non-binary and gender-diverse people in Auckland. The second is a Conversion Practices Survivor Network that is facilitated by OutLines trained staff. Providing a space for survivors of conversion practices to share their personal experiences and provide support to others.
How to help: Head to the ‘donate’ section of OutLine’s website to make a one-off, weekly, or monthly donation. If you want to help on a larger scale, you can start a fundraiser for OutLine by heading to: donateoutline.raisely.com
