About Us

Geelong Rainbow began as a social group for the G21 Region in 2017. GR evolved quickly and in 2018, the Geelong Rainbow Festival was held for the first time. Geelong Rainbow has grown and will continue to progress and change in accordance to member and community needs.

Our Mission

To support, connect, and empower LGBTIQA+ people across Geelong and the G21 region through inclusive, accessible, and community‑led initiatives.

Our Vision

A region where LGBTIQA+ people feel safe, visible, connected, and supported to live healthy and meaningful lives.

Our Purpose

To foster and facilitate community connection opportunities and projects that improve the confidence, safety, and strength of the LGBTQIA+ community on the Bellarine.

MEET OUR MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Parker Rettke (They/Them)
President

Transfemme Non-Binary

Parker is Geelong Rainbow’s organisational development (OD) extraordinaire. With an extensive background in OD, including a Master of Business Administration and Bachelors of Business (Marketing) from RMIT University, Parker is a celebrated business strategy expert and academic with a particularly focus on Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access & Safety (IDEAS). 

 

Professionally, Parker is the Business Development Manager for Social Impact Management Consultancy Impact Co., where they balance national design & evaluation projects with a profile of internal projects that enhance the agency’s partnerships, pipeline, and proposals. Parker is also in their fourth year of a PhD in Management focused on Diversity & Inclusion practices in Australian organisations.

Christie (She/Her)
Vice President

Demisexual

Christie started on the committee as a baby queer from Tassie wanting to support and help create opportunities for the Geelong Queer community. Now, Christie is Geelong Rainbow’s Vice President, taking on a leadership role which reflects the personal and professional growth that Christie has experienced in her tenure on the committe.

 

Christie has many roles; a fiancé to Circe, a counselling student, carer, support worker and a budding witch. In GR, Christie leads events and communications as well as focusing on creating strong support system for the committee’s physical and mental health. Christie is known for her deep care and tireless commitment to the Geelong Rainbow community, and continues to actively listen and respond to the concerns of the broader queer community of Greater Geelong.

Claire (She/Her)
Secretary

Lesbian

Claire is a 4th year engineering student and fellow president of the Deakin Geelong Queer Collective. She is passionate about event management and grassroots community organising, and always takes the opportunity for her two organisations to collaborate.
 
Claire contributes her graphic design and social media skills for Geelong Rainbow, as well as maintaining the memberships database and leading the Memberships & Communications team.

Audrey (She/Her)
Treasurer (Acting)

Trans Woman / Transfemme

Audrey Stringer (She/Her) formally President to Geelong Rainbow 2025-2026 Audrey is a support worker, mum and passionate advocate for queer and disabled people. She has blasted onto the scene of event organising, having been the event coordinator of 2026’s Geelong Rainbow Festival and assisting with the City Of Greated Geelong’s IDAHOBIT day and the National Day Of People’s Living With Disabilities events. In her words she is just your “friendly neighborhood Trans girl” wanting to help her community.

Kaye (They/Them)
Design Officer

Queer/ Non-Binary

Kaye is a creative powerhouse, born and raised in Geelong. Kaye is a superstar at expressing Geelong Rainbow’s impact, intent, and culture through graphic design.

 

They are also a warm and proactive member of the community engagement team, building partnerships, relationships, and long-term plans with other local organisations.

Ruthe (He/Her)
General Committee Member

Transmasc in a Transfemme way

Ruthe Geller is the creator of Geelong Rainbow’s Website/Cybersecurity team, now officially the IT Subcommittee. He has also formerly led the grantwriting team and served as Secretary. She is honoured to serve Geelong Rainbow, believing that all Queer folk in Geelong need a beacon of hope and community.Outside of Geelong Rainbow, Ruthe volunteers at fan conventions and performs original music. She is often heard before he is seen, and loves the public opportunity to prove that everyone has the right to live as who they are.

Circe Fischer

Circe (She/Her)
General Committee Member

Transgender Woman

Circe is Geelong Rainbow’s resourceful IT girl, a digital soul with a habit of finding problems to solve. She excels at spreadsheets, aspires for automation, scribes scripts, sculpts 3D models, and has the tenacity for tedium. Hand your project to her and it will come back improved, guaranteed.

Macey (She/Her)
General Committee Member

Transgender Woman

Macey is a passionate advocate for inclusion, kindness, and creating spaces where everyone feels seen, respected, and valued. As an Education Support Worker in a primary school, she is dedicated to helping children thrive by fostering understanding, confidence, and a strong sense of belonging. She believes that small acts of compassion and acceptance can make a lasting difference in the lives of young people and the wider community.

 

Outside of work, Macey enjoys expressing her creativity through a variety of hobbies. She loves crafting, playing video games, photography, and baking treats to share with family and friends. Macey believes that inclusive communities are built through empathy, education, and meaningful connections. 

Tye (They/Them)
General Committee Member

Transmasc Non-Binary

Our Values

COMMUITY-LED

We centre lived experience and listen deeply to the people we exist to support.

INCLUSIVE & ACCESSIBLE

We work to remove barriers and ensure our spaces, activities, and communications are welcoming to all.

RESPECTFUL & SAFE

We uphold respectful, affirming environments where people can show up as themselves.
Geelong Rainbow’s values are the foundation of its mission to support, connect, and empower LGBTIQA+ people across Geelong and the G21 region. As a community‑led organisation, Geelong Rainbow centres lived and living experience, ensuring its programs, advocacy, and events are shaped by the voices of the people it exists to serve. Its commitment to being inclusive and accessible reflects its vision of a region where LGBTIQA+ people can participate fully, without barriers, exclusion, or fear. By prioritising respectful and safe environments, Geelong Rainbow fosters spaces where individuals can show up as their authentic selves, feeling affirmed, visible, and supported. Together, these values guide the organisation’s community‑driven approach and underpin its long‑term vision of a safer, more connected region where LGBTIQA+ people can live healthy, meaningful, and empowered lives.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Geelong Rainbow Inc. is a community‑led, volunteer‑run not‑for‑profit organisation that supports, connects and advocates for LGBTIQA+ people across Greater Geelong and the surrounding region. We work to foster inclusion, visibility, safety and wellbeing through community events, peer connection, advocacy, and collaboration with local services.

Geelong Rainbow is for LGBTIQA+ people of all ages, as well as allies, families, carers and supporters who want to help create a more inclusive and connected Geelong community. Our activities are designed to be welcoming, affirming and accessible.

We deliver and support a range of activities including:

  • Social events and community gatherings
  • Pride and awareness events (such as the Geelong Rainbow Festival)
  • Peer connection and community networking opportunities
  • Advocacy, engagement and community‑led projects

These activities aim to reduce isolation, strengthen connection, and increase visibility for LGBTIQA+ people. 

Interested in collaborating with Geelong Rainbow, email us at: hello@geelongrainbow.org.au

Interested in getting involved in more events? Why not become a member?

Yes. Membership is a way to stay connected, support our work, and help strengthen LGBTIQA+ community life in Geelong. Details about membership types, pricing and benefits can be found on our Membership page.

Many events are open to everyone, while some activities may offer discounted tickets or priority access for members. Event pages will always clearly explain who the event is for and whether membership is required.

We welcome volunteers who are passionate about community, inclusion and equality. Volunteer roles may include event support, administration, community engagement or project assistance. Fill out an expression of interest form and we’ll get in touch.

We actively collaborate with local services, community groups and government to improve outcomes for LGBTIQA+ people. If your organisation is interested in partnering with us, please get in touch via our Contact page or reach out via hello@geelongrainbow.org.au

Yes. We are committed to creating culturally safe, inclusive and affirming environments for all LGBTIQA+ people, including those with intersecting identities such as disability, ageing, or diverse cultural backgrounds. Though we might not always get it 100% right, we are always learning, listening and growing as our impact on the Geelong community broadens. 

No. Geelong Rainbow is a community organisation, not a clinical or crisis support service. If you need immediate mental health support, we encourage you to contact appropriate crisis lines or local health services. We can, however, help people connect with community and local supports.

Our work is supported through grants, donations, fundraising activities and community support. This funding allows us to deliver events, strengthen organisational capacity, and respond to emerging community needs.
 
You can support us via Give Now

You can contact us via the Contact page or email us directly (hello@geelongrainbow.org.au). We do our best to respond promptly, but as a volunteer‑run organisation there may be short delays during busy periods.