Service types: Advocacy, Education and training, Information & support, LGBTQIA+ support, Social work, Youth mentoring / development.

Our Transgender Peer Support Service is to help gender-diverse young people (up to age 27) and/or their whānau, explore gender identity through accessing gender-affirming healthcare, providing information and resources, and assist in creating connection and community with other gender-diverse people.

This means we can help with things like: referrals for gender-affirming healthcare, attending peer-support groups, finding relevant and relatable resources, advocating at work and/or at school, finding clothes in our community wardrobe, name and gender marker changes, etc. Let us know what support you need on your gender journey and we'll do our best to make it happen!

Support offered:

• Support for transgender and gender diverse young people and their whānau (Auckland)
• Support and advocacy for rainbow young people who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness (Auckland)
• Support for whānau experiencing conflict or breakdown after a young person comes out
• Peer support groups throughout the country
• One-on-one support and referral pathways for rainbow people across Aotearoa

• Drop-in centres in Auckland, New Plymouth and Tauranga.
• Free educational/digital resources.

Finding well informed, non-judgemental and accessible support services around gender and sexuality can be particularly challenging in Aotearoa. RainbowYOUTH works with young people, their whānau and their wider communities to connect them with accurate and correct information and services that will provide safe and respectful support. We work in a strengths-based model and strive to work in frameworks that consider hauora, resilience and individual journeys.

We can help rainbow people to access emergency housing and work and income services, and advocate for them during the process.