How to deal with protesting
Responding to negative action during Schools’ Pride Week and beyond
Disinformation and Hate Campaigns
Homophobic and transphobic bullying and discrimination can happen at any time, and during Schools’ Pride Week this can often be heightened due to increased visibility.
Schools’ Pride Week Aotearoa is currently being subjected to numerous disinformation and defamation campaigns which have been ramping up over the past 3 years. These campaigns are led by well-known anti-rainbow hate groups and ultraconservative Christian organisations including Brian Tamaki and Destiny Church, Family First NZ, Let Kids Be Kids and Resist Gender Education NZ.
We saw protests outside schools last year coordinated by groups like these and with the current social and political commentary on our communities, we think it is important to be prepared in case this happens again.
You can download all the information on this page as a printable PDF Resource HERE
How to deal with protesting at your School during Schools’ Pride Week Aotearoa
We do not recommend engaging with these people in any way.
They use intimidation tactics and are not safe. They thrive on publicity and attention so not giving them this is the best course of action.
If possible, organise before and after school volunteers to be on duty at your school’s entrance, or outside rooms where events are taking place if there is likely to be bullying or disruption from other students. In the event of protesters, having umbrellas (we recommend rainbow ones!) on hand which can be used to block offensive signs, or protect students as they walk past.
If your pride flags or displays are vandalised, replace them. We have progress pride and trans pride flags on our webstore if you need them.
If you do not already, then we highly recommend setting up rainbow-specific bullying and discrimination prevention policy and procedures. These can help school staff recognise this when it happens, and give them the tools and confidence needed to deal with it swiftly, whether in school or by outside protestors.
Relevant Resources
Feedback from Schools
We had feedback from schools who were targeted with protesting during last year’s pride week and here are the ways they uplifted their rainbow young people afterwards.
“The day after we had protesters, parents and teachers came before school and covered the concrete at the entrance in beautiful chalk messages so the students could walk through with pride and aroha.”
“After a protest out the front of our school by Destiny Church, a group of our Year 13 students came along to that day’s Pride events to sing the school waiata for the students participating to show their support and aroha.”
“We had a deputy principal and our school dog on flag duty at breaks, to stop people from vandalizing it.”
Mythbusting and Debunking
Check out the Mythbusting and Debunking page on our website to brush up on responses to how to combat lies and disinformation about rainbow communities.
We also have a handy template you can use in response to negative or threatening correspondence from your school communities HERE
Social Media
One of the places schools are seeing the most pushback is on social media. This can be distressing for rainbow staff, students and whanau to see and here are our top tips to manage this.
- Monitor your school’s social media channels including Facebook groups or pages where people can comment.
- Consider making any posts about Schools’ Pride Week closed to comments. Facebook and Instagram both include “turn off commenting” as an option on individual posts.
- Delete any hate speech immediately and refer to your schools policy if needed to block or remove followers.
Support
Young people may need extra care and support during this time. Make sure they have access to guidance counselors or other trusted staff to talk to.
0800 OUTLINE – free phone line and web chat available where all counsellors are from the rainbow community.
Call 0800 688 5463 between 6pm-9pm or visit www.outline.org.nz
1737 – a free service for anyone feeling down, anxious, a bit overwhelmed or just in need of a chat. Calling and texting is free 24/7
Youthline – Free call 0800 376 633, free text 234, webchat at youthline.co.nz
Contact your local InsideOUT School Coordinator if you require in person support.
Important Reminders
The fear of pushback should not prevent us from taking action to celebrate and protect our takatāpui and rainbow students.
Behaviour like this makes Schools’ Pride Week even MORE important to show your rainbow school community that bigotry will not be tolerated.
While the backlash is vocal, it is a vocal minority. Most of our communities are supportive and want to see students in their schools thrive.
We offer our heartfelt gratitude to all the amazing rainbow young people, staff and allies leading this change on the ground in our communities.
