Rainbow Youth and OUTLine will tonight reveal the fruits of endless hours of mostly volunteer labour, a new campaign with the confronting title “WTF?” Literally meaning “What the Fuck?” the organisers say they are making no excuses for the hard hitting message championed by celebrities ‘bleeping out’ their support. Thomas Hamilton, Executive Director of Rainbow Youth, says the campaign message needed to be strong in order to really change attitudes and behaviours. “Nothing like this has ever been attempted in New Zealand, nor has any one campaign rallied as many of our country’s famous faces under its banner. “The support from so many well-known Kiwis has encouraged us to speak up even louder for those being discriminated against. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect, so it’s time we ask New Zealand, WTF?” WTF aims to change attitudes and raise much needed funds. Both non-profit organisations offer support and counselling services, as well as a drop-in centre, to youth and their families as they deal with their sexual identities. Discrimination is one of the key issues they face. Same/both sex attracted youth are four times more likely to have attempted suicide than heterosexual youth. Rainbow Youth and OUTLine want to change social attitudes towards discrimination faced by the gay, bisexual, lesbian and transgender (GBLT) community. They say the campaign is not aimed just at the gay community, it is aimed at all New Zealanders. Famous faces (both straight and gay), who have put their names to this campaign include: Rocky Horror Picture Show Creator - Richard O'Brien, Annie Crummer, Colin Mathura-Jeffries, Tamati Coffey, Alison Mau, Jo Cotton, Danielle Cormack, Green and Labour MPs, core cast members of Go Girls, Spartacus, The Almighty Johnsons, Shortland Street, McLeod’s Daughters and Underbelly Razor. We’ll have more from the launch of WTF? tonight.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Wednesday, 23rd May 2012 - 9:34am