About us

Rainbow Affinity was founded In March 2023, in response to the significant lack of culturally safe and affirming services for LGBTIQ+ brotherboy and sistergirl folk across the Brisbane and Gold Coast regions .

‘Beyond Urgent’ The National LGBTIQ+ Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Strategy 2021-2026 revealed that “there is a substantial and growing gap between the demand and supply of LGBTIQ+ specialist and LGBTIQ+ inclusive services” (p. 20)

Rainbow Affinity acknowledges that LGBTIQ+ people often experience significant barriers and health disparities due to the lack of equitable access to culturally safe and affirming care. 

“Evidence suggests that when practitioners go beyond assumptions, affirm diversity and display a competence with language, it can improve service engagement and may have a beneficial impact on the health and wellbeing outcomes of LGBTIQ+ people” (Australian Institute of Family Studies 2022, p. 4)

Rainbow Affinity believes that the LGBTIQ+ community deserve access to culturally safe and affirming services.

Affirmative practice is suicide prevention

Our Vision

Rainbow Affinity’s vision is greater access to equitable services that are affirming and culturally safer for LGBTIQ+ brotherboy and sistergirl folk.

Our Mission

Rainbow Affinity commits to collaboration with the LGBTIQ+ community at all levels and adopts a “nothing about us without us” approach through an intersectional lens.

Rainbow Affinity’s overarching aim is to improve access to culturally safer and affirming services, by strengthening the capacity and confidence of mainstream service providers, who are working to develop and maintain individual practices and organisational cultures that are affirming and safer for all LGBTIQ+ folk.

Rainbow Affinity would like to thank everyone for their ongoing support in and during the development of the service, in particular Evie Ryder @ Evie Ryder Productions for her ongoing guidance, inspiration, knowledge, network sharing and friendship.