Pride Whanganui want to tap Government support for rainbow community

Whanganui's rainbow community is welcoming new Government funding for mental health with Pride Whanganui planning to apply for grants as soon as it becomes available.

The Rainbow Wellbeing Legacy Fund was launched on June 2 to improve and support the mental health and wellbeing of the next generation of rainbow New Zealanders.

Christina Emery from Pride Whanganui said the fund was a great start leading from the front.

"It's showing we're not going to sit down or push things under the rug, mental health is being uplifted," she said.

The fund comes as part of an acknowledgement for the New Zealanders who were convicted for homosexual acts before the law changed in 1986.

In 2017 an apology was given from the Government and in 2018 a law was passed to remove all convictions.

With the fund having a strong focus on organisations to support youth, Emery said it was giving provincial communities like Whanganui access to services they have never previously had.

Pride Whanganui will be applying for grants as soon as they become available.

"Currently there is a lot of services nationwide but bugger all in smaller provincial towns.

"We could get funding to have people like a gender psychiatrist that may only be available in Palmerston North or Taranaki at the moment, to come set up clinics, even if it's just monthly."

Emery said her passion in supporting the Pride community in Whanganui came from wanting to give everyone a place where they can feel safe, loved and understood.
"The bigots are the loudest in a smaller community," she said.

Emery said she respected Prime Minister Jacinda Adern for honouring this fund.

"It's not just for the LGBTQ community, we are now having conversations all over New Zealand about mental health and it's one of the greatest things we can do," Emery said.

"It's helping to break the stigma and remind people they are not alone."

The Government has proposed to inject a one-off endowment of $1 million through a charitable trust that will administer payments through annual grants to support organisations.

"Injections are being put in place, you can talk about the topic all you want till you're blue in the face but with funding, action can be taken," Emery said.