Ara Taiohi

Social innovator, researcher, strategist, poet, Te Rarawa, Pākehā, queer.

The kaupapa that drives my practice is that I want to see a world that’s safer, inclusive and more fair for everyone. Currently my paid, voluntary and academic work focuses on wellbeing, belonging and inclusion for Rainbow young people, drawing on my understandings of public health, human rights, social inclusion and community leadership. My work with Ara Taiohi is about supporting the youth development sector, and the systems and structures that support young people, to feel confident and competent to work with young people whose sexual orientation, gender identity or sex characteristics are different to majority norms. I believe whoever we are, we should all be able to grow up in an Aotearoa that values, loves and includes us.