A rainbow bookstore is among the suggestions Glbti people in Christchurch are calling for more events and venues, such as a ‘rainbow hub’ or a bookstore, as well as an inclusive campaign like posting ‘Welcome to Christchurch –we are a gay-friendly city’ signs at the Airport. The ideas are among many which were put on the table during a community consultation event, where a clear desire for a safer, more supportive and encouraging environment in the city was expressed. The results are collated in a report prepared for the UpRising Trust, a group which was set up after the earthquakes to help keep the community together. It banded together with the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority in November to hold a ‘Share a Queer Idea’ community consultation. Common themes that arose from the different discussion tables were a lack of awareness, education and visibility both within the ‘rainbow’ community, and in mainstream Christchurch. “Lack of gay friendly venues and events was also a recurring theme, with some tables noting that what events there were tended to be organised by a few people and that this leadership pool was probably overstretched,” the report says. “Resistance to change was noted as an issue for the community as was lack of finance. It was noted by one table that these issues predated the earthquakes but were now exacerbated by the recovery environment.” Concerns were also raised about stigma and threats of violence, and perceived discrimination by police. A popular suggestion for improving the situation included a ‘Welcome to Christchurch –we are a gay-friendly city’ campaign, while other ideas included a gay hub or bookshop, a rainbow information centre or a gay precinct. Many of the concerns of the wider Christchurch population, such as housing and transport issues, concerns about EQC, insurance and the management of the recovery and stress and social isolation, were echoed. “From this data, there is no indication that this population is finding it more difficult than any other to access the support services currently available. There is some recognition that the challenges which always faced this community have been exacerbated by the earthquakes and subsequent recovery,” the report says. “Unsurprisingly, the issues of visibility, stigma, social isolation and social prejudice were mentioned throughout the surveys, with particular concern for young people’s needs. Discrimination by police and the fear of discrimination by elder care services were specifically mentioned. This is in keeping with mental and public health research about the impact of discrimination on rainbow communities.” Overall, three clear priorities were identified: · Provision of more gay-friendly venues and events · Proactive promotion of gay-affirming messages by civic authorities · More prominent and vocal community leadership The report suggests a good first step would be improving and promoting existing groups and networks such as Pink Pages, the UpRising Trust and Q-topia. It warns that promoting Christchurch as a gay-friendly city through a sign at the Airport might result in an upturn in homophobia responses. “Young, isolated or closeted people will feel the impact of this vocal homophobia most acutely and any public statements should seek to manage the damage this higher profile debate might inadvertently cause.” The report’s author Lucy D’Aeth agrees that articulate and visible role models are even more crucial within the rainbow communities, as those coming out need a visible community for support. “It is likely that the local rainbow communities face the same issues as many others across the city at this time – community leaders are tired and, faced with managing their own recovery issues, their time and energy to dedicate to community involvement is depleted,” D’Aeth says. “It is also possible that internalised homophobia may impact on the capacity of some with good leadership skills to contribute these to this community.”All the ideas from the report will be discussed and progressed at a “Community Voices” workshop at the Christchurch City Council’s Function Room this Thursday from 6PM.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Monday, 16th June 2014 - 1:08pm