Safe Gains
Safe Gains is a program for rainbow and takatāpui communities – allowing our kiritaki to connect, learn and grow in a safe and supportive environment.
Rainbow communities are severely under-represented in the data. Rainbow folk are still “othered” in sport, fitness, health and well-being spaces.
We want to work together to change that.
We’ve been told traditional gyms can be intimidating.
While creating the Safe Gains program, we spent a lot of time within the community to find out how we can help
- Safe Gains sessions are run by queer coaches
- We have gender-neutral bathrooms and areas to change/shower
- Our programming takes into account the intersections of the LGBTQ+ and neurodiverse communities
“This is the first exercise class where I’ve truly felt safe.“
Join our Safe Gains community!
Fill out this form and we will be in touch with you shortly!
What our kiritaki are saying…
“I didn’t expect to feel so supported and find so many cool people.”
“I actually want to exercise and move my body now!”
“I have learned how to lift and move in ways that I love.”
“It has felt great to connect with others queer people in this context and to have a wide variety of body types represented and catered to.”
“I feel comfortable getting exercise and moving. I have made friends and I feel better about myself in general.”
“The way that exercise is spoken about is very holistic which feels different from traditional narratives that have caused me to lose interest in the gym space.”
“Safe Gains has enabled me to try out weightlifting in a safe and comfortable environment“
“I feel so much happier now, and that’s been so positive in my life, both physical, mental and emotional.”
FAQ
Q: I’m not a young person, can I attend?
A: Absolutely! Our program is for you if you are 13 or 103! The all ages aspect of our program means that different generations of rainbow can connect which we have found to be incredibly valuable.
Q: I already feel quite comfortable in the gym, can I attend?
A: Yes! We love to have gym bunnies in attendance, it helps to support our other kiritaki and there’s always new tools you can pick up, as well as adding to your current training!
Let’s connect
“I am a takatāpui person in my early twenties. I am of Māori and Pacific Peoples descent, and I identify as Disabled. I am a senior Diversity & Inclusion professional in the Public Service.
At the start of the programme, I was a new resident to Christchurch with no friends or family living there. I hadn’t set foot in a gym for over five years, and I participated in little physical activity due to lack of confidence and time constraints.
Mainstream gyms are notorious for being hypermasculine, overstimulating environments where Rainbow people rarely feel comfortable. In Safe Gains, I have found a community; some members of which I am privileged to call close friends.
Each participant is able to move at their own pace, and in their own time. With this, and through the authentic duty of care exhibited by the instructors, the programme has given me confidence in myself and my physical ability.
The most profound thing I have experienced is intergenerational connection. For the Rainbow communities, this is vital yet rare. In life, there are few opportunities for Queer young people to meaningfully connect with Queer elders, and vice versa. Queer young people learn about their history from the internet, and Queer elders have limited ability to keep up with Queer issues of the modern day. Safe Gains provides the conditions in which intergenerational learning and growth occurs.”
— Safe Gains Rangatahi
Unbreakable Foundation 