Let’s Talk: A Webinar for Whanau about Nurturing Rainbow LGBTIQA+ Young People with OutLine & Rainbow Youth

Let’s Talk was a session co-hosted by OutLine and Rainbow Youth to give parents and caregivers a better understanding on how to navigate raising rainbow youth. On the 6th of October, we had 15 community members attend our zoom hui, as well as the amazing teams from both OutLine and Rainbow Youth. A major part of the evening was about using appropriate terminology, and the importance language plays in making our young people feel safe and accepted such as using appropriate pronouns.

It’s recognizing that coming out as a member of the rainbow community is a continuous process. Our young people are at constant risk of losing relationships with loved ones, be put in unsafe situations, be discriminated against, and feel alone and isolated when coming out. Its important that we accept them for who they are.

We were also given tips on how we can be better to our LGBTQIA+ youth, acknowledging that how we were raised plays a huge part in building and maintaining relationships with our young people. It’s key to respect the identity of our young people, but we also need to protect their privacy, and that different contexts can possibly call for different ways to address them. Safety is paramount in all situations, because as the adult it’s your responsibility to protect them.

Coming out or transitioning is a process that may take years. It’s where identities are built up and broken down, but we must give our young people time and space to figure out who they’re attracted to, but most importantly who they are. It’s the HEART Movement’s Kaupapa to build healthy relationships, and a big part of that is acknowledging that we have a growing rainbow community here in Tāmaki. Giving parents and caregivers knowledge on how to better navigate the tough situations and conversations is a key aspect to building safer spaces for our Tāmaki rainbow youth.