20/08/2026
Meeniyan Marty Gras have been lucky enough to be given some beads from the amazing Abbie and her family, absolutely honoured to help spread Abbieโs message.
If you would like to donate to help Abbie continue please look The Rainbow Shoelace Project up on Instagram and Facebook โค๏ธ๐
And you may be lucky enough to score some free beads at the Marty Gras ๐ฅฐ
The Rainbow Shoelace Project (RSP) was founded in 2022 by Abbie Jane, a then 12-year-old from the remote town of Broken Hill, NSW. It began with Abbie giving away free rainbow beads to wear on shoelaces as a symbol of support for the LGBTQIA+ community.
The project promotes visibility, reduces bullying and homophobia, and helps LGBTQIA+ individuals feel safe and accepted. Now distributed globally, over 450,000 packs of beads have given away.
RSP has received national and international attention, including a feature on Miriam Margolyes: Impossibly Australian and support from Dannii Minogue. In March 2025 Abbie co-authored a book named โAbbieโs True Coloursโ, the story of the Rainbow Shoelace Project.