Tūngia te ururua kia tupu whakaritorito te tupu o te harakeke
Clear the undergrowth so the new flax shoots will grow

Tēnā hoki koutou i ngā āhuatanga o te wā. Anei te panui mō ngā takatāpui taiohi o te motu o te Roopu OUT THERE!

This Queer Youth Update is all about pulling together. In the new year that Matariki heralds, it is a great time to embrace change in the queer youth sector.


OUT THERE! Ch Ch Ch Changes

A few words from NZAF and Rainbow Youth
As many of you are aware, funding for OUT THERE! ended on 30 June and further funding for the immediate future has been evasive. In previous updates we have kept you informed about OUT THERE!’s funding issues and have expressed optimism that these will be overcome. However, the present economic circumstances have taken their toll and we have been informed by the Minister of Youth Development, Paula Bennett, and the Ministry of Health that there will be no new funds available. This comes on top of our present funder, the Department of Internal Affairs stating that they too are unable to temporarily extend our funding as had also been hoped.

Since these developments, NZAF and Rainbow Youth have met regularly to discuss the future of OUT THERE!. The outcome of these discussions has been a plan for OUT THERE! to continue on a low-key basis and without staff, while options are explored for both funding and an effective representative structure at the same time. Rainbow Youth will play a facilitating role in this process. The New Zealand AIDS Foundation (NZAF) will continue any core project work already underway, namely Curious and some research projects. However, NZAF has decided that it will take a more low-key role in any new OUT THERE! that emerges. This is related to NZAF’s desire to focus on its HIV prevention work.

OUT THERE! Staff on the move
The sad consequence of having no funding is that your stunning OUT THERE! staff, who have worked so tirelessly for queer youth over the past year on successful projects such as the Kaha Queer Youth Hui, Curious TXT, and Youth’07, must now regretfully finish their employment with the project.

Elizabeth Kerekere - Kaimahi Takatāpui Taiohi
Elizabeth finished her employment with OUT THERE! on 30 June. To see Elizabeth Kerekere in action is an absolute privilege; the expertise and knowledge that she has brought to the project has been an enlightening experience for everyone she has worked with. From the heart of OUT THERE! it has been an honour to have such a strong and visionary presence with us. Elizabeth and whānau have plans to move to Gisborne later in the year. In the meantime Elizabeth will continue her studies at Victoria and has also offered to continue in a voluntary capacity to help facilitate progress around future plans for OUT THERE! Elizabeth is also available to offer trainings to queer youth networks on OUT THERE!’s Takatāpui Guidelines. Elizabeth can still be contacted on: 027 404 8277 - elizabeth@outthere.org.nz

Laressa Donaldson – Queer Youth Development Worker
Laressa finishes with OUT THERE! on 31 July. Laressa has been our youthful and impassioned queer youth advocate over the past year. Her energy has helped us stay focussed on the issues effecting queer youth such as the on-going issue of same sex partners at school balls. Laressa’s empathy with young people has encouraged many to feel connected to the work of OUT THERE!. Things are looking really exciting for Laressa. She has recently been appointed to an exciting new role as Health Promoter for Family Planning based in Wellington and will start with them in August. Laressa can still be contacted directly until July 31 - laressa@outthere.org.nz

From August 1 inquiries regarding queer youth or OUT THERE! can be directed to Rainbow Youth:

thomas.hamilton@rainbowyouth.org.n
 z
Phone: 09 376 4155
Fax: 09 368 5596
Mobile: 021 529 778

www.rainbowyouth.org.nz

Simon Harger-Forde
Director Prevention & Communi

Ngahuru, tōnui te kai, tōnui te tangata
Harvest time, great in food and great in people
– when we all share in the work, we all get to share the harvest

Tēnā hoki koutou i ngā āhuatanga o te wā. Anei te pānui mō ngā takatāpui taiohi o te motu o te rōpū OUT THERE! The Queer Youth Update is all about TAKING PART this month.



National Queer Youth Leadership Training, 23-24 May 2009, Hamilton

What is it for?

•Developing queer youth leaders for the future
•Training participants to facilitate groups and workshops in their own area
•To use queer youth leaders to disseminate the findings from the report on same-sex and both-sex attracted young people from the Youth 2007 research on 10,000 school students nationally
•Run a national queer event for Youth Week


Who is it for?

Up and coming queer youth leaders from established queer youth groups – to be nominated by the group facilitators. All nominations to go to Laressa by Friday May 10th so we can organise transport and finances; laressa@outthere.org.nz, (04) 381 6648.

How do we get there?

We will provide transport for up to two nominees from established queer youth groups. Our preference is for participants to travel by van so the team building starts early!

Why is it in Hamilton?

The stunning people at Waikato Queer Youth have offered to host this training. Thank you WQY, you rock! WQY will arrange accommodation and kai.


What will the training cover?

•leadership qualities
•facilitation skills
•takatāpui guidelines
•how to run workshops on topics including identity, homophobia/transphobia, mental/sexual health and others
•specific planning on running a workshop in your region for people who work with young people

Who are the Facilitators?

•Elizabeth and Laressa, OUT THERE!
•Hannah Ho, School’s Out/TranZform





Update on OT! Funding

Most of you will be aware that OUT THERE!’s long held funding arrangement with the Department of Internal Affairs is due to end on 30 June, due in part to a restructure of its Community Development Scheme. We have been working hard to secure new funding for what is an important project for queer youth in Aotearoa. Unfortunately, our endeavours have coincided with a change of government and a major economic downturn. As a result, permanent funding has not yet been secured. However we have been working closely with officials from the MSD, DIA and particularly MoH, and feel comfortable that they are doing everything they can to ensure funding continues. The Minister of Youth Development, Paula Bennett, has granted us some funds to complete our important Curious Online initiative and we are exploring ways of bridging the project until Government is able to commit to a new funding arrangement. However, it is almost certain that OUT THERE! will need to reduce its capacity after 30 June, since the project has enjoyed an expanded previous 12 months. This was because of an earlier surplus which we had originally hoped would be able to continue through increased funding. Rest assured however, we are confident that there is a willingness from the Government to ensure that OUT THERE! and its work supporting the development of queer youth continues.


Dancing with the Stars! Congratulations to Rainbow Youth!

Congratulations to the team at Rainbow Youth in Auckland, and especially to the wonderful footwork of their supporters Tamati and Samantha! We’re really excited about how the show has helped to raise the profile of queer youth in Aotearoa. Check it out on GayNZ


Agender National Conference, Wellington 29-31 May

There’s still time to register for the 2009 Agender National Conference, but spaces are closing fast! This year’s conference kicks off in Wellington on 29 May at the West Plaza Hotel, and the theme is “Beeing Who We Are!”

New Queer Youth organisation in Nelson

Q-Youth is a new social support network for queer yo

He ika kai ake i raro, he rāpaki ake i raro
As a fish nibbles from below, so an ascent begins from the bottom
– success depends on sound planning and doing the groundwork

Tēnā hoki koutou i ngā āhuatanga o te wā. Anei te panui mō ngā takatāpui taiohi o te motu o te Roopu OUT THERE! The Queer Youth Update is all about PLANNING this month – where to from here.


HOT OFF THE PRESS: Media Release on recent BEHAVIOUR SUMMIT http://www.outthere.org.nz/home/


KAHA ’07 – We Need Your Photos!
For those that went to KAHA - Yes, we know you took hundreds of pics of you and your friends. If you’re happy for them to go on our website or in our Hui Report please email them to us. Thank you!

Also, as you know many people were recording people and parts of the Hui. To hear yourself and others, listen to:
oAccess Radio podcasts of several interviews and Alison Laurie’s queer history presentation
oRadio NZ Te Ahi Kaa programme THIS Sunday 15th March, just after 6.00pm – in te reo Māori about Takatāpui for the podcast after the show.


No Funding For OUT THERE!
Our funding finishes on 30 June 2009 and the best we can hope for is a skeleton project until more funding becomes available. Thank you for the letters we’ve received so far – if you want us to continue, please write a letter of support to us.

Of course we’re not taking this lying down, not even gracefully on a chaise lounge, so we held a ‘Where To From Here’ strategy hui with reps from Rainbow Youth (Auckland), Q-topia (Christchurch), School’s Out and Wesley Community Action (Wellington). The main points from the hui were:
oUsing a Youth Development framework so queer youth know what’s going on and get to have a say about it
oKeeping in better touch with each other across the country
oDeveloping and increasing queer youth groups through support and training
oLiaising with other agencies/organisations such as the National Youth Workers Network Association and CYFFS to take responsibility for diversity and queer issues.

Detailed notes will be included in the Hui Report Elizabeth is compiling. Email Elizabeth at elizabeth@outthere.org.nz for more information.

Youth 2007 & the National Queer Youth Day of Action
OUT THERE! commissioned the University of Auckland to produce a report on same-sex and both-sex attracted young people from the Youth 2007 research on 10,000 school students nationally. Since the draft statistics are not looking so flash we’ve decided to take a strengths-based approach and create a National Queer Youth Day of Action during Youth Week, May 2009. We will convene a national training workshop for representatives from queer youth/diversity groups from across Aotearoa who will then go out to run workshops in their own areas. More details to come. Email Elizabeth at elizabeth@outthere.org.nz for more information.


Spreading the Love at Te Matatini
Te Matatini National Kapa Haka Competition is the largest Māori gathering in Aotearoa. Thousands of people came to watch the top 36 kapa haka groups battle it out. OUT THERE! shared a stall with NZAF, Family Planning, Te Puawai Tapu and Te Aitanga a Hauiti Hauora to promote diversity and safe sex. Elizabeth distributed about 4500 of our new Takatāpui resource which was a very positive start to her work in reducing homophobia and transphobia amongst Māori.


Rainbow Youth Dancing with the Stars!
Rainbow Youth is the selected charity for Tamati Coffey and Samantha Hitchcock for this season of Dancing with the Stars on TV ONE, Tuesdays at 8.30pm. Congratulations – the boy can move!! To support the wicked work Rainbow Youth does in the Auckland region and co-governing of OUT THERE! text Tamati to 8981 or phone: 0900 89 815. For more information check out www.rainbowyouth.org.nz.


Curious TXT is rockin’
We’ve had a phenomenal response to the TXT service provided for queer and ‘questioning’ youth that have questions on sexuality