METRONEWS
© New Zealand Broadcasting School 2024

New gender diversity campaign proves popular

Oliver Cowan
RY Pronoun T Shirts2
The new RY t-shirts in action  Rainbow Youth NZ

Rainbow Youth explores pronouns and gender diversity with new clothing.

Rainbow Youth has recently started a new campaign to help Kiwis with pronoun use.  

The new campaign, which launched on May 1, introduced t-shirts with pronouns. The new campaign is a step up from the "If it’s not gay, it’s not gay" TV ad. 

The idea behind the campaign is to help people understand the important of diverse pronouns. This is to stop people from being mis-gendered, but also gives gender diverse people a way to express who they are. 

Toni Duder from Rainbow Youth said it was the first time the organisation had sold merchandise. 

"It’s a step up for us doing this." 

It was becoming a talking point for gender diversity and a way to educate people, she said.

The t-shirts helped "tell people your pronouns but, also ask people theirs and also raise awareness of what pronouns are and how their used", Duder said.

A third of the t-shirts sold in the first week of the campaign.

"Everyone has pronouns, so everyone can get onboard."

Rainbow Youth offers support and services for the LGBTQ+ youth community. It has a drop-in centre in Auckland, as well as support groups throughout the country. 

Rainbow Youth New Zealand

Rainbow Youth NZ Store