Meet the Australian teen who turned bullying into hope, with support from Dannii Minogue (EXCLUSIVE)
Rainbow Shoelace Project’s Abbie Jane reflects on the homophobia that hounded her out of school in a remote corner of New South Wales, Australia, in Attitude's Rainbow World feature
By Dale Fox
I grew up in Broken Hill, a tiny mining town in outback New South Wales, Australia. People think it’s progressive because of the Broken Heel Festival and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert being filmed there, but my experience was very different.
In pre-school, I’d beg my mum to let me stay up late to watch the Mardi Gras parade. I dressed up my Ken dolls and made them wigs from ribbon. At home, I felt safe being myself. But outside that bubble, it was harder.
When I was 11, I realised I had a crush on a girl. Starting high school, I heard constant, casual homophobia. I knew being open about who I was would make me a target – and it did.
On International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia in Year 7, I worked with my principal to raise the Pride flag at school, hoping to help other queer students feel seen. As we stood by the flagpole, a group of older boys shouted at me, calling it “disgusting”. After that, girls followed me into the bathroom to tell me they wanted me to die. Boys posted photos of me online without my consent. I had notes thrown at me, saying “Kill the gays” and “Straight lives matter.” I began having panic attacks at school. My stomach was in knots. By Year 8, I stopped going altogether. Eventually, I had to move 16 hours away just to feel safe.
It was during that time that I started the Rainbow Shoelace Project, when I was 12. I realised you usually see rainbows when you look up, but when you’re being bullied, you’re often looking down. Seeing rainbow beads on your shoes, or someone else’s, can remind you to lift your head and be yourself.
Since then, we’ve packed and sent out more than 350,000 bead kits to people around the world. They’ve even been to Antarctica. My mum and pop help me pack the orders by hand, along with a few volunteers. In 2023, Dannii Minogue brought a huge bag of our beads with her on a flight to London to give to Attitude – and they’ve been included in the gift bags at the PEUGEOT Attitude PRIDE Awards Europe since, all because of her help.
Dannii first messaged me on Instagram after seeing the project online. She’s one of the kindest, most generous allies I’ve met, and she’s stayed in touch ever since. I also got to share my story with Miriam Margolyes for her show Impossibly Australian, which was such a special experience.
Last year, I co-wrote a children’s book with Claire Thompson called Abbie’s True Colours, illustrated by Eliott Bulpett, a non-binary artist. I wanted every kid who read it to feel seen. One mum messaged me to say her daughter’s favourite character was me, “because Abbie is so brave.”
One of the most powerful messages I’ve had came from a doctor wearing the beads at work. A patient in his fifties asked about them – and then came out for the first time in his life, to the doctor. That meant the world to me.
I’m still figuring out what comes after school, but I know I want to help make the world a better place. My current dream is to take the Rainbow Shoelace Project to Pride in London so I can give out beads – though I don’t even have a passport yet! But more than anything, I want young people to feel safe, supported, and like they belong.
If you or someone you know is affected by bullying, there is help available. In the UK, you can find support from organisations such as Childline, Kidscape, and the National Bullying Helpline. In the US, resources include STOMP Out Bullying, StopBullying.gov, and the Crisis Text Line. In Australia, you can contact Kids Helpline, Bullying. No Way!, and Dolly’s Dream.
This feature is taken from issue 366 of Attitude magazine, available to order here, and alongside 15 years of back issues on the free Attitude app.