Rainbow youth - bridge to employment?

Rainbow Youth Adult Advisor Linda Farr cannot emphasise enough how important it is for gay employees to feel safe and supported in their environment – and this must start before they enter the workforce, she says. “If you can make young people feel confident about their sexuality and more relaxed about who they are, they’re more likely to want to go to school and therefore go on to become more productive,” Farr says.

“For many of these young GLBTFT* people their sexuality makes no difference. But there’s another group that has low self-esteem, feel confused and have probably been bullied. It can be very difficult for them to get the confidence to want to be productive,” she says. Farr says many young people who suffer from bullying have difficulty remaining at school, which impacts heavily on their education.

Rainbow Youth endeavours to provide support, education and information for GLBTFT young people and give them the opportunity to meet other young people like themselves so they do not feel so isolated. “If you have low self-esteem and do not feel valued, you are more likely to take risks, whether it be with drugs, alcohol or unsafe sex.” 

Farr has seen many GLBTFT youth blossom after joining Rainbow Youth and taking on managerial responsibilities as youth board members. “Some young people joining Rainbow Youth may feel they have limited skills and may have low self-esteem, but after they become Rainbow Youth board members they have an opportunity to value themselves. They discover they have many talents that may have been suppressed in the past .”

Rainbow Youth did workshops in around 60 schools over this past year working to cut down on homophobia and bullying against GLBTFT youth.

*Gay Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Fa'afafine and Takataapui


For help – or further information, visit Rainbow Youth