Yet Ireland is a long way away from us here in San Francisco, The Rainbow Project is a great role model for gay men and groups world wide.
About The Rainbow Project
The Rainbow Project is a health organisation that works to improve the physical, mental & emotional health of gay, bisexual and non-heterosexual men in Northern Ireland.
We are the largest gay organisation in Northern Ireland and have two centres: one in Belfast city centre and the other in Foyle, L’Derry.
History
The Rainbow Project was established in 1994 by a group of volunteers who were concerned about the spread of HIV within the gay male population of Northern Ireland.
These volunteers wanted to provide information and support to men who have sex with men (MSM) ahout HIV and AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). They carried out research within the gay and bisexual communities in order to find out what type of information and support services were required.
As a result of this research, the project began to offer information on HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), distributing safer sex materials and leaflets at commercial gay venues and LGBT events.
Although our initial work was focused on HIV and STI prevention, it became clear that our service-users had additional support needs related to their physical health generally as well as mental & emotional well-being. As such, The Rainbow Project was able to offer professional counselling services to gay/bisexual men, and those unsure of their sexual orientation, as well as providing practical interventions in the form of advocacy support for those men who had been discriminated against or been verbally, physically, and/or sexually assaulted because of their sexual orientation.
Today, The Rainbow Project is still committed to the prevention of HIV and STI transmission among men who have sex with men, however, we are also committed to addressing the physical, mental & emotional health needs of gay and bisexual men. We do this by providing a number of services, facilitated by 11 full-time members of staff, under the direction of a volunteer-led Board of Trustees. We continue to have a strong volunteering ethos and seek to create opportunities for gay/bisexual men to contribute to our overall organisational aims and objectives.
Objectives
- Provide dedicated one-to-one support, personal development groups and co-cultural counselling services to gay and bisexual men and those unsure of their sexual orientation;
- Provide safe community spaces for gay and bisexual men to meet;
- Provide specialised health promotion services aimed at reducing existing health inequalities experienced by gay and bisexual men and men-who-have-sex-with-men;
- Provide 3rd party hate crime reporting and advocacy services for gay and bisexual men;
- Support gay and bisexual men and their parents and/or families on issues around sexual orientation and coming out;
- Carry out social research into health issues affecting same-sex attracted people in general with an emphasis on those issues disproportionally affecting gay and bisexual men;
- Carry out social policy development and lobbying on issues affecting same-sex attracted people as well as contributing to cross-sectoral partnership working;
- Provide information, guidance and training to health and other professionals on minority sexual orientation awareness and the impact of homophobia and heterosexism on health and access to mainstream health service provision;
- Carry out activities that increase understanding of same-sex attraction and promote good relations between people of different sexual orientations within NI society.
Health & Well-Being
The Rainbow Project (TRP) uses the Social Model of Health in its approach to addressing the health inequalities experienced by gay and bisexual men in Northern Ireland. This model emphasises the impact that factors in the environment can have on the health of individuals. In line with this model TRP considers that the main health inequalities experienced by gay and bisexual men are the result of heterosexism* and homophobia in both society and mainstream health promotion &service delivery.
Rainbow therefore delivers services to individual gay and bisexual men where mainstream health services are not accessible or suitable. It also lobbies for a better understanding of the health needs of same-sex attracted people and promotes good relations between people of different sexual orientations.
*Heterosexism refers to the assumption of heterosexuality and the resulting invisibilityof gay, lesbian and bisexual people and their needs in society as well as in social policy and statutory/voluntary service provision.
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