Minus18

We're SO close! Just a little more, and we'll be able to host 70 free school workshops! We honestly can't thank you enough for the incredible support you've all shown us this Pride Month. As you know, all donations this month are being dedicated to creating free LGBTQIA+ education in schools. And thanks to your generosity, 55 schools across Australia will now be receiving free LGBTQIA+ inclusion workshops. Our goals is to impact 70 schools – so we're almost there! Can you help us reach those last few? Every $20 impacts another person! This education is so important. We'll be working with students AND teachers to create a safer school environment. Our workshops empower queer students, while helping the young people and adults around them to be better LGBTQIA+ allies. Because we want to equip them with the tools and skills they need for their school life, and well into the future! Donate via the link in our bio, and help create free education today 💖

We need your help. We’ve been made aware of anti-LGBTQIA+ groups that have rallied their followers to attack our biggest queer youth event of the year, Queer Formal Melbourne. They’ve told their members to register for all the free tickets so that queer young people can’t attend. We don’t need to tell you, it’s messed up. We actually plan for these sorts of attacks as part of our internal processes and, after our review, we’re confident we’ve ensured all tickets are actually going to young people who need them. Why bring this particular instance to your attention? Because it’s just one of the increasing number of threats we’re receiving as a charity that supports queer young people today. These groups speak about how we cause teens to “flaunt their sexuality”, they inundate our venues with threatening messages, and threaten to protest and block the entrance so young people can’t get in. We rarely talk about this publicly, in order to shield our young people from these threats. But enough is enough. We won’t stand by as these groups try to eliminate safe spaces for young people that need them. We need your help because this hate is exactly the type of attitudes we’re still up against, and why our work is so important. It’s why we do what we do every day. We’ve come a long way, but we have a LONG way to go before every LGBTQIA+ young person can safely and confidently be themselves, without being threatened. And it’s why 100% of donations received during June are being dedicated to providing free LGBTQIA+ education to young people AND adults around the country. So please, show your support: 🌈 Share this post online 🌈 Let NGV know you support Minus18 and Queer Formal 🌈 Make a donation to our Pride Month campaign. Every donation, no matter how small, makes a difference. To everyone attending Queer Formal: we’ve increased our youth safety team this year to the biggest it’s ever been. These anti-LGBTQIA+ groups only inspire us to work even harder to ensure all 700 young people at Queer Formal have the safest, most amazing night. Because you are loved, and we won’t stop until every young person knows it.

Hey, we're Minus18! 👋 We thought we'd introduce ourselves and tell you all about what we do! If you're new here, this is a great place to start ✨ Put simply: we're Australia's charity improving the lives of LGBTQIA+ young people. We were founded back in 1998, by mum and LGBTQIA+ champion Nan McGregor. We've grown so much since then – creating safe spaces for young people across the country, leading change and building social inclusion. Want to learn more? Swipe through 🌈🫶 📸 Designed using photography by @theresa_harrison_photography @gxbriellemxry @will.hamiltoncoates @millie_gryphon @samuelgravesphotography #Minus18Youth

💻 ONLINE EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT! 💻 We got your messages asking for another one, so here you go – it's our next instalment of Minecraft Mayhem! Join us on Friday 26 July, 5-6:30pm AEST – FREE tickets via link in bio. Minecraft Mayhem is an online event for LGBTQIA+ youth aged 12 to 19 that's all about playing Minecraft with your queer pals! It's for our seasoned pros, those who've only played a few times, or those who've never played at all. Everyone can come hang out, make friends and build a queer brick world with us. We'll have tutorials and activities for pals to play along on their own device, and share their creations with everyone – or pals can sit back and watch the onscreen action with our Minecraft experts. And, of course, we'll have an epic chat thread full of gags, commentary and good times. FREE tickets via link in bio! #Minus18Youth

Need a break from the dance floor at Queer Formal® Melbourne? Introducing the array of activities we have planned for you – so you can get creative, meet new friends, and create a memento to take home with you! 🤳 It's the @bondsaus Photo Booth! Complete with props and a backdrop – snap a pic with your pals, print it out, and take it home! 👟 The @converse_anz Customisation Station is a Queer Formal® fave! Full of epic pride patches, you can customise your shoes, clothing, or bags – or even a take a free tote bag to customise instead! 🎨 Wanna explore the gallery? @ngvmelbourne will be hosting guided tours to show you the best art in town! 📚 Wanna learn how to make zines? Then join @vichealth and get creative and make whatever you like! ✍️ Share a message with your queer community, or write a self-affirming message wit the @eachcommunity Affirmation Wall! ✨ Make matching bracelets with you and your friends at the @queerspaceyouth Friendship Bracelet Making Station! 🎲 Take a moment to chill (or meet someone new!) with a stack of board games, and drawing! Side note: WE NOW HAVE 🌈 LIMITED TICKETS 🌈 LEFT! We know many of you missed out, so we've spoken to the venue, moved some things around and we now have some extra tickets! Grab yours via the link in our bio. Let's do this, Melbourne! ✨

Mark your calendars: Friday 30 August is Wear It Purple® Day! 💜 On the last Friday in August every year, workplaces, schools and organisations wear purple to stand proudly with LGBTQIA+ youth against the discrimination still faced by so many. Every young person deserves to feel safe. Things should be getting better for LGBTQIA+ young people but, alarmingly, in 2024 discrimination and hate speech is on the rise. How do you get involved? Check the link in our bio for your 2024 digital How-To Guide! Written by the Minus18 Team, the guide comes full of handy tips for hosting an activity at work or school, conversation starters, discussion guides, links to resources, and exclusive offers like a discount code for our pride and allyship shop! We can't wait to see how you go purple in August! Join us and proudly stand with queer youth in the face of discrimination. *Used under license from Wear It Purple Incorporated - wearitpurple.org.au #Minus18Youth #WearItPurpleDay2024

Pride Month is almost over, so what better way to celebrate than by highlighting some of our favourite queer icons! 🌈 Check out these queer recommendations from YOU! Thanks to everyone who submitted their suggestions this month. Scroll back through our feed to check out your favourite queer tv shows and movies, books, and musicians. So many incredible queer people to celebrate! #Minus18Youth #PrideMonth #QueerIcons

Today is Stonewall Day – a day that marks the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots of June 28, 1969. After a police raid at a New York gay bar named the Stonewall Inn, the LGBTQIA+ community took a stand, resisted arrest, and protested against the discrimination they faced by police. At the time, homosexuality was illegal in the US, and venues could be shut down for having gay employees or serving gay patrons. The Stonewall protests lasted for days, and are now widely considered to be a pivotal turning point in the fight for queer civil rights, in America and across the world. At the forefront of the riots were trans women of colour, like Marsha P Johnson and Sylvia Rivera – the latter of the pair was only 17 years old at the time. These activists played a pivotal role, as hundreds and sometimes thousands of people gathered in support of the queer community, chanting words like “gay power” and “we shall overcome”. This is one of the important reasons you’ll often see “Pride is a Protest” on social media. Pride Month literally started as a protest for LGBTQIA+ civil rights and equality! 🎨 by @zoomiesbyzo #Minus18Youth #PrideMonth #StonewallDay #StonewallRiot #PrideIsAProtest

Introducing some of the fur babies of Minus18 🥹 They're all rocking our brand new Rainbow Pride Bandanas – and modelling them very well, of course! These bright and colourful bandanas are perfect for people and pets to show your pride and allyship wherever you are. Side note: if you snap a pic of your pet wearing one of these, please tag us so we can see it. The Minus18 Team loves pet pics so any excuse to see your adorable furry friends. Grab your bandana via minus18.org.au #Minus18Youth #RainbowBandana

Today is the anniversary of the LGBTQIA+ Pride Flag! 🏳️‍🌈 So, here’s a quick history lesson, and walk through of the different versions you may have seen before!

We've been blown away with the support we've received from around the community over the past few weeks. Seriously. The messages, the DMs, the emails – and donations in support of our Pride Month donation drive. If you haven't heard? We're dedicating every June donation to creating free LGBTQIA+ education – and thanks to YOU, we've funded sessions for 45 schools. And we reckon we can fund 25 more, for 25 more schools, with your help. The past few weeks have only confirmed to us the importance of education, and in equipping both students AND adult staff with the skills to stand out against discrimination. And it's why we're committing every donation this month to just that. Whether you're donating in honour of Pride Month, or because it's the end of the financial year, it all makes a difference. Every single donation! Even $20 means one more person impacted. To everyone who's contributed this month – thank you SO much. Let's do it – 25 schools to go! Donate via the link in our bio! 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️ (And if you're a school, and you're keen on grabbing one of these free sessions? Check our bio for a EOI form!)

✨ On this day in 1978, the first Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras was held! ✨ Pride is a protest – and these events remind us of the brave LGBTQIA+ people who stood up for their rights, and fought for queer liberation. Swipe through to learn more! #Minus18Youth #MardiGras