Be There - The Importance of Whānau Support for Trans,Intersex, Takatāpui and Rainbow Young People

Be There is an awareness campaign aimed to educate and support the whānau around trans, non-binary, takatāpui, queer, intersex, and rainbow young people about how to be more inclusive, affirming and safe.

This is especially important in the context of COVID-19. In the Ministry of Youth Development's Youth Pulse Check Survey, which looked at the experiences of young people aged 12-24 during lockdown, 52% of LGBTQI+ respondents stated that "I feel like I am not accepted or respected in my bubble at least some of the time", and 36% felt unsafe in their bubble at least some of the time.  

We will have panelists from our Youth Sector Rainbow Collective discussing the importance of having supportive whānau, and what can be done (by youth workers, by people working with whānau, and by whānau themselves) to create loving and respectful familial environments for our young people.