Rainbow rangatahi were celebrated across New Zealand last week
Schools’ Pride Week Aotearoa took place last week, with organisers celebrating a successful and hopeful campaign that saw more than 250 schools and community groups across the motu stand in support of rainbow and takatāpui rangatahi.
Held from 15 to 19 June, the annual campaign supports school communities to celebrate rainbow students, staff and whānau, while helping build safer, more inclusive learning environments.
This year’s participation marked an increase from the past two years after a downturn linked to anti-rainbow rhetoric, disinformation and backlash directed at both the campaign and rainbow communities more broadly.
InsideOUT Kōaro Chief Executive Judy O’Brien said the response from schools and communities was deeply encouraging.
“At a time when rainbow and takatāpui communities are facing continued public scrutiny, misinformation and political debate, it is incredibly heartening to see more schools choosing to show visible support for their rainbow students, staff and whānau,” says O’Brien.
“Schools’ Pride Week is about belonging. It gives schools a way to say clearly: rainbow young people are valued here, your whānau are welcome here. You deserve to feel safe and seen.”
The 2026 campaign included a wide range of participants, from early childhood centres and home school groups to kura, primary, intermediate and secondary schools, tertiary providers and community groups. Many took part for the first time, with activities often led by student groups.
This year’s theme, Community is Home, celebrated the safe havens created by chosen whānau and rainbow communities, where young people can be authentically and unapologetically themselves.
The success of Schools’ Pride Week comes at a time when many rainbow young people continue to experience bullying and exclusion. The Youth Health & Wellbeing Survey 2025, which surveyed around 9,400 young people aged 13 to 19 across Aotearoa, found 15.2 percent of students identified as rainbow. Of those students, 41 percent reported experiencing bullying at school in the previous 12 months, compared with 23 percent of their peers.
The survey also found 21.3 percent of all students reported being bullied because of their rainbow or gender diverse identity. While 73 percent of students agreed their school was supportive of lesbian, gay and bisexual people, fewer — 68.9 percent — agreed their school was supportive of takatāpui, trans and gender diverse people.
“These statistics confirm what we already know: visible support matters,” says O’Brien. “Feeling safe, celebrated and valued at school is foundational to young people’s wellbeing and learning. Schools’ Pride Week is one way school communities can build that sense of belonging.”
Schools’ Pride Week Aotearoa coincided with Out on the Shelves, InsideOUT Kōaro’s campaign supporting school and community libraries to showcase and grow their rainbow collections, helping young people access stories that reflect their lives and futures.
