Sydney, Australia (June 1, 2022) - Australia’s first “Big” landmark dedicated to regional LGBTQIA+, the Big Rainbow, is one step closer to finding its new regional home, with a shortlist of four towns revealed on the Big Rainbow Project website and open to a public vote over the next month.
The landmark builds on Tinder’s continued commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community in Australia. During the initial public submission period, which launched during Sydney’s Mardi Gras events and ran until April 20, Tinder received thousands of submissions from every corner of the country.
The selection of the final four towns has been made in collaboration with the project’s consultation panel of community advisors and experts from the LGBTQIA+ and First Nations communities. The final regional towns open for the public vote until June 30 are:
Broome, WA: Nestled on the WA coast, Broome, the Traditional Land of the Yawuru people, is home to one of the most remote Mardi Gras celebrations in the country, providing a melting pot of culture and people.
● Daylesford, VIC: Daylesford, the Traditional Land of the Dja Dja Wurrung people, is known as the rainbow capital of regional Victoria. It’s also home to Chillout Festival, one of the longest-running events celebrating regional LGBTQIA+ pride.
● Hay, NSW: Deep in regional NSW, the small town of Hay, the Traditional Land of the Wiradjuri people, is home to the first Mardi Gras of the region, the Rainbow on the Plains festival.
● Katherine, NT: As the hub of The Big Rivers region in the NT, the town of Katherine, the Traditional Lands of the Jawoyn, Dagoman and Wardaman peoples, has an ever growing LGBTQIA+ community and annual Pride celebration for regional territorians.
It’s now up to Australia to weigh in on which of these four finalists is the preferred home of Australia’s largest symbol of pride and solidarity with the nation’s LGBTQIA+ community. Regional towns across the country have already been campaigning hard to bring the Big Rainbow to them and it’s time for the rest of the nation to join them.
“We’ve been blown away by the level of support for the Big Rainbow from every corner of the country. The Big Rainbow Project is a long-term commitment for us, a deepening of our support to the Australian LGBTQIA+ community beyond the urban centres. We encourage each and every Australian to make their voice heard on the preferred home for the Big Rainbow in regional Australia where it can be a beacon for diversity, inclusion and self-expression,” said Tinder Australia Country Director, Kristen Hardeman.
The Big Rainbow Project is an ongoing initiative from Tinder aimed at closing some of the connection gaps faced by regional queer communities compared to their metropolitan counterparts. In addition to the Big Rainbow landmark, a larger-than-life symbol of equality and unity, Tinder has earmarked $100,000 to be donated to regional community organisations to support programmes for the regional LGBTQIA+ community.
“We’re pleased to have worked with Tinder to help shape the ways in which the Big Rainbow Project can have a direct impact on the lives of queer people across Australia. It's encouraging to see that so many Australians are passionate about supporting the queer community and we hope that everyone who submitted a regional town votes again to help find the Big Rainbow a loving, regional home.” - Queer Agency Co-Director, Brooke Brady.
Votes for the Big Rainbow’s regional home are welcome from June 1 - June 30, 2022. Votes can be submitted at bigrainbowproject.com.au.
###
*Voting results will be considered alongside other factors, in Tinder’s determination of the final location for the Big Rainbow. For the full T&Cs, head over to bigrainbowproject.com.au.
The Big Rainbow Project details:
Vote for the Big Rainbow’s final home in regional Australia here
Following its debut in Sydney and a nation-wide call-out for suggestions, the Big Rainbow landmark will be journeying to a new home somewhere in regional Australia where it will live on as a symbol of diversity, inclusion and self-expression for the LGBTQIA+ community. Tinder is now calling on the public to check the shortlist of towns nominated to house the Big Rainbow and to cast their vote for their favourite option.
A $100,000 donation to support regional LGBTQIA+ programmes
As part of The Big Rainbow Project and quest for its future home, Tinder is also pledging $100,000 to support regional LGBTQIA+ organisations working in communities across Australia. Once The Big Rainbow’s home has been found, Tinder will commit the funds to organisations who support and uplift LGBTQIA+ people, particularly in regional communities where support may be limited. Tinder will be announcing the full list of Australian organisations alongside the final home for the Big Rainbow landmark.
The significance of the Big Rainbow
UNDER EMBARGO until 6am June 1, 2022 AEST
The Big Rainbow is the latest in Australia’s legacy of over 150 “Big” landmarks and the first of its kind to celebrate and represent the nation’s vibrant and widespread regional LGBTQIA+ community. The landmark was designed with help from members of the LGBTQIA+ and First Nations communities to represent and celebrate Pride, far and wide in Australia.
Voices from the community tell stories of dating with pride. Join us at @BigRainbowProject on TikTok.
In creating The Big Rainbow, Tinder Australia seeks to make Pride accessible for everyone. The unveiling of both the physical and virtual Big Rainbows, is accompanied by the launch of a social series which heroes the experiences of LGBTQIA+ Aussies from regional towns. Talent hailing from central, west and northern NSW including Nicholas Steepe (he/him), Jack Williams (they/them) and Sophie Barber (she/her/they), have been sharing their stories of discovery, self-expression and dating with pride.
Increasing LGBTQIA+ representation on Tinder
More than half of Tinder members globally are Gen Z, which is commonly known as the most fluid of any generation ever. Tinder’s LGBTQIA+ member base has grown at twice the rate of the overall base, and non-binary is the No. 1 “more genders” choice in the app.
####
About Tinder
Tinder was introduced on a college campus in 2012 and is the world’s most popular app for meeting new people. Available in 190 countries and 40+ languages, it’s been downloaded more than 500 million times and led to more than 70 billion matches. Tinder Australia newsroom.
About the Big Rainbow Project
The Big Rainbow Project is an initiative by Tinder Australia, helping Aussies celebrate the magic of human connection, with pride, no matter where they live. The Big Rainbow Project seeks to support LGBTQIA+ community members in regional and remote locations. The Big Rainbow Project is released in conjunction with Tinder’s pledge to donate AUD $100K to support regional NGOs who deliver services to LGBTQIA+ people.
Media assets
