LINE Wangaratta, a volunteer-led community group that coordinates social inclusion programs, is touring north east towns over the next five months and inviting community members to join them in creating a gigantic rainbow flag.

Earlier this year Albury City Council decided to investigate permanently flying a rainbow pride flag in the Council's chambers.

LINE president Allison Winters, who uses they/them pronouns, said the project aimed to reduce stigma, harassment and discrimination against the queer community.

"We already know that the LGBTQIA+ community is disproportionately affected by homelessness, domestic violence, mental health, drugs and alcohol," they said.

"But then we're hearing a lot of things from young people, we know they already had some terrible experiences last year anyway, but then on top of that, had online bullying and harassment from peers.

"We hear stories of people who've been going down the street and experiencing violence.

"There's too many stories to share unfortunately."

They said the project would connect people.

"Particularly after the 2019/2020 bushfires and the COVID-19 restrictions last year, an already isolated community was even further impacted.

"So it's to get together informally and socialise, to have a cup of tea, to talk to each other and provide that peer support, but it's also about visiting all the geographically isolated areas of the region and bringing LGBTQIA+ events to places that probably haven't had them at all, let alone in the last 18 months."

In May, the North East Pride Collective's rainbow ball narrowly avoided cancellation amidst the uncertainty of border closures and COVID-19 restrictions.

After the first sewing session in Wangaratta today, LINE will visit Mansfield, Bright, Benalla, Myrtleford, Rutherglen, Yackandandah, Beechworth and Yarrawonga to spread pride across the region.

Mx Winters said everyone was welcome to attend.

"These sessions aren't just for LGBTQIA+ people to attend," they said.

"They're for families, it's for allies, it's even for people who just want to come along and say 'it's a big acronym I don't understand any of it, can you just talk to me about what I should be considering in my own service or my own organisation or school or health service'."

Fabric and sewing machines will be provided, but participants are asked to bring a small piece of material to include in the flag.

"It can be any colour, any style, any texture, to incorporate it as part of a bigger project," Mx Winters said.

"It's really a metaphor that we're all different members of the community and we're all making this thing together.

"It's not going to be a very even, very perfect flag, it's meant to be different, it's meant to be unique.

"And at the end of the day, if the sewing machine doesn't work, we'll just get thread and needles out and we'll do it by hand, because that's just part of facing adversity, we'll just be resilient and do what we can."

Mx Winters said the flag would be exhibited at the end of the tour.

IN OTHER NEWS:

LINE secretary and mother of an LGBTQIA+ community member Olivia Sewell has thrown her support behind the craft project.

"I will support my daughter in anything and everything that she does," Ms Sewell said.

"In 2021, the fact that we're still fighting for people to be able to express themselves how they want to express themselves, is actually quite sad.

"So anything I can do to help people come forward, help people learn ... I'll be there."

Ms Sewell said she wanted to spread the message that it's OK for people to be queer.

"I hate the fact that the other day I did see some negativity on some comments on Facebook," she said.

"I was really hurt and upset by some of the comments.

"Allison said 'yes, but Olivia that's why we need to do what we do and that's why need to keep pushing, we need to keep moving forward, because those people, it just makes what we're doing and what we're trying to promote and how were trying to educate people, it makes it even more important.

"That sort of discrimination and that sort of negativity impacts human beings, at the end of the day, we're all human beings."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: