Rainbow ministry needed?

A Green MP says a dedicated ministry, department or agency for rainbow issues would improve access to funding and representation for

LGBTQIA+ New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the Wellington Pride Festival, Green Party rainbow issues spokeswoman Jan Logie said rainbow advocacy groups struggled for funding and to have a voice at government level.

‘‘We’re a significant proportion of this society and we’ve got no channel for representation into government. We need a voice, whether it’s a unit in an existing ministry, or whether it’s set up like youth development . . . We’ve got to work out what the best option is, but there needs to be something.’’

A lot of rainbow community work was offered voluntarily but this wasn’t sustainable, she said. ‘‘Ministers put in budget bids, but there’s no natural home for where the rainbow budget would sit. It would kind of sit with MSD [Ministry of Social Development] but we don’t have an automatic ‘in’ for that conversation.’’

Logie’s comments echoed that of queer rights advocate Bella Simpson, who said pride meant inclusion, but also begged the question of ‘‘where to next?’’.

Pride was a time to celebrate diversity and the achievements of the rainbow community, but also to make sure that support was ‘‘all year round’’.

Wellington Mayor Justin Lester attended the event and cut a rainbow ribbon to mark the opening of the twoweek festival, which would see nearly

130 events across the capital.