"We've built the house, now we are inviting you to come in and make yourselves at home," is the message from the newly-formed Aotearoa Rainbow Alliance (ARA), a group formed to bring the diverse community together and advocate for change. A small group of volunteers who formed the first ARA board has been meeting to get it off the ground, and ARA is now an Incorporated Society. It's now spreading the message far and wide that it wants members of the community to come to its first AGM, which will be held on the 23rd July 2011 at 10am, at the OUTLine offices in Ponsonby, Auckland. "While we have necessarily taken these first steps in Auckland, our goal is to strengthen networks and facilitate communication between members across the nation. There will be the ability to participate in the upcoming AGM via skype for those out of Auckland," says a press release from the steering group which set up ARA. "We encourage you to join, membership is open to organisations and individuals who are able to show they align with ARA's goals as outlined on our website – www.rainbowalliance.org.nz "It will take time to build the organisation into a truly national alliance, but we are sure of the benefits to the well-being of our communities by this work." ARA was established as an outcome of the Symposium on Rainbow Health and Wellbeing organised by OUTLineNZ in November 2010. More than 50 health-professionals, providers and advocates who attended stated the need for a national organisation to connect and facilitate cooperation between LGBTI organisations, individual practitioners and community advocates. The ARA has a clear aim to; "bring our diverse Rainbow Communities together around NZ, to advocate change for a better present and future for the improved health and wellbeing of our rainbow communities."
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 16th June 2011 - 12:53pm