A new equality campaign, OK2BGay,has launchd in Australia tdoay, championing the rights of LGBTQI folk.

OK2BGay's mission  is to raise awareness of the high levels of social isolation, depression and suicidal thoughts that LGBTQI people still endure in recent times in Australia.

It plans to do this by getting the message out their through social media in an effective, clear and efficient way through resources such as www.ok2bgay.com.au and Facebook.

OK2BGAY was created by Steven Pawsey and Francesca Christie. Steven’s passion for this cause was due to the pain suffered from his own personal coming out in 2009 at the age of 19. It is due to this personal experience that he learnt this problem is sadly not uncommon and thus he has become passionate to help ease the situation for many young Gay and Lesbian’s in Australia. Francesca is a straight mother who has worked in the Show Horse industry for decades and has seen firsthand the suffering and pain of many young gay people and their struggle to be accepted and to accept themselves. It was through this passion that both have worked tirelessly since January 2011 to do something that would send a clear, bold and powerful message that there is nothing wrong with being gay, thus it is “OK2BGAY”.

Says OK2BGay:

"Through our research we have identified major problems with the lack of support for younger people who are too scared to get conventional help. Thus, we have embedded a Forum into our website where people can communicate, ask questions to each other and converse in a secure, unthreatening and if need be undisclosed environment. We have also included written and video stories from people who are Gay, Straight, Lesbian, Bi-sexual, Transgender and Intersex. This allows people to gain strength from listening and reading other peoples experiences and to know that regardless of how bad things seem at stages throughout their ‘coming out’ it will get better and they need to know it is OK2BGAY.

Furthermore, we are developing a clothing brand ‘OK2BGAY’ were people can send a message that its OK2BGAY by proudly wearing t-shirts, tank tops, wristbands or underwear saying that its ‘OK2BGAY’ or “Everyone is Equal”.

The gorup hopes to donate a portion of money each month  from the sales of these items to a charity working with the LGBTQI community . The first month of operation has just been completed and the charity that has been nominated to receive the % of sales is the Kids Helpline. Each month on the 5th week a new charilty will be announced as the recipient on the company's facebook page..