Celebrating the Rainbow Pride Foundation, an Oxfam partner that is uplifting the LGBTQIA+ community in Fiji.
Oxfam America believes that everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, deserves to live with dignity, free from discrimination, violence, and persecution. This Pride Month, we are putting the spotlight on the Rainbow Pride Foundation, a partner in Fiji, and the work it does to advance the rights of LGBTQIA+ individuals.
Fiji is one of the few countries in the world to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in its constitution; however, people in this Pacific island nation continue to fight societal bias. The Rainbow Pride Foundation (RPF) seeks to normalize the lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ individuals and one way it does that is through its “Queerpreneurs” project.
“A lot of people judge us based on our gender identity and sexual preferencing,” said Benajmin, who is a member of Rainbow Pride Foundation. “[It’s] quite difficult for a lot ... of our members to have conversations with the bank, with organizations on how to grow their businesses or to help them with capacity development.”
Through this project, RPF provides seed funding to small-business operators and financial literacy training to those launching new businesses as well as creates spaces for entrepreneurs to network amongst themselves and with the business community. Oxfam’s support of RPF is part of larger initiative in Fiji called Shifting Power Shifting Voice that challenges harmful attitudes and norms hindering women’s economic empowerment and advances the economic development of LGBTQIA+ people.
“From the very beginning, [Oxfam was] really intentional with their time and space and they really understood the need to create this platform for queerpreneurs,” said Benjamin. “They really were supportive in terms of allowing us, RPF, to take the lead and to speak on behalf of our community because we are part of the community.”
A platform for queer voices
Two years ago, Benjamin helped organize an expo for queerpreuners.
“A majority of our community members don't have access to the simple things like financial literacy and budgeting and how to put together their finances,” he said. “We needed to create a platform to bring them all together and nurture the talents that they had.”
The event brought together a diverse cross-section of self-employed folks, ranging from makeup artists to people who fish, to encourage personal development and capacity building for their businesses. During the expo, entrepreneurs were encouraged to sell their merchandise. RPF set up opportunities for the larger business community get to know the members as individuals.
Participants were able to engage with financial institutions as well as the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation and came away equipped with information on how to apply for small-business grants and join unions. The hope is that moving forward, these relationships will enable queerprenuers to take advantage of resources that can remove some of the pressure of having to take on everything by themselves.
“A lot of us are having to save up whatever we can to be able to start up our businesses,” said Benjamin. “[Once you’ve] been identified and isolated by the society ... it becomes very difficult for you to transition to a place of business because you also don't think that you're good enough.... A lot of us are afraid to start our businesses because of the fact that we might fail and because we're using whatever little money we have to start up businesses.”
Prior to the expo, participants expressed apprehension as to whether they would be taken seriously by the larger business community. Members shared a fear with organizers that revealing their sexuality or gender identity would result in losing their clientele. RPF listened and was intentional about creating a space that acknowledged and validated their unique talents as queer businesspeople.
“I know for a fact that a lot of people from the heterosexual community, when they have an opportunity to come and listen to our lived experiences, there is a better understanding of who we are as individuals and we are no longer isolated or labelled as a minority in the community,” said Benjamin.
Empowered to dream bigger
Since the expo, members have shared stories of success. One fisherperson has been able to grow their business and is selling to a greater clientele. Fashion designers and makeup artists have been able to work more events. By far the greatest impact of the project has been dismantling the notion that being queer has anything to do with one’s business prowess.
Working with queerprenuers has inspired Benjamin to invest in his own “side hustle” of event planning. Since the expo, he has built out a network that works collaboratively to put on events.
“Even for me, on a personal level, I think it's really removed that fear in me that as a queer person I can still run a business, he said. “I can still prosper in this business venture, and I don't need to be defined or identified just by my gender identity and sexuality, like there’s so much more to me.”
The Shifting Power Shifting Voice project is supported by the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP) through Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade