After a successful crowdfunding campaign, Black Rainbow is one step closer to its aim of becoming Australia's first mental health and suicide prevention service for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTI people.
We are asking our Twitter followers to donate $5 towards Indigenous LGBTI Suicide. http://t.co/ffjCyRbxaI
Black Rainbow was founded by gay Aboriginal man Dameyon Bonson, with the intention of providing health information and meaningful support for people who are Indigenous and identify as LGBTI.
"For Aboriginal lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex [LGBTI] people, one of the biggest problems is that there is nothing reflected in the world around them nothing that says, 'It's OK to be you', " Bonson told The Guardian Australia.
The organisation started a crowdfunding campaign in mid January. They needed to raise at least $25,000 by 12pm on Monday for the campaign to be successful.
On the fundraising page, Black Rainbow draw attention to the high suicide rates of LGBTI people and of Indigenous Australians, highlighting a need for more information catering to people who are part of both groups.
With only three days and about $14,000 to go, things were looking tight for Black Rainbow.
But after a determined social media campaign, a deluge of donations on Monday morning saw Black Rainbow cross the line. Hooray!
The Black Rainbow Living Well Foundation is now one step closer to reality. Thank you. A real community effort.
Congratulations, @BlkRnBow @DameyonBonson for reaching your campaign tipping point! Big win for Indigenous LGBTQI suicide prevention!
The first $25,000 raised will fund Black Rainbow for the first three phases of setting up the organisation.
1. Creating a Black Rainbow National Leadership Group that will connect with stakeholders and liaise with government and non-government organisations.
2. Presenting a workshop at the 28th World Congress of the International Association for Suicide Prevention in Montreal in mid-June.
3. Producing a report with a "comparative analysis of social determinants of health facing Indigenous LGBTI [people] and how to best enhance resilience, at a global and community level".
Additional funds will go towards a national gathering for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTI people.
