The Rainbow Tick will be officially launched in Wellington tonight at a gathering at Parliament. Labour MP Louisa Wall will host the event, while National MP Nikki Kaye will also speak. The keynote speaker will be Brigadier Howie Duffy from the New Zealand Defence Force, who will explain how and why the NZDF set led the way in becoming a truly inclusive organisation. The Rainbow Tick has already signed up a number of major organisations in the Auckland region, and is getting more and more expressions of interest from around the country. “We thought this was the right time to make our presence more clearly known in Wellington,” says Rainbow Tick’s Programme Director Michael Stevens. “The benefits to employers and employees of providing a truly welcoming and safe workplace for our communities is increasingly clear, and we’re looking forward to helping spread this message further.” The Rainbow Tick is a quality improvement cycle designed to make an organisation a safe, welcoming and inclusive place for people of diverse gender identity and sexual orientation. It's come to life thanks to backing from Affinity Services, a charitable community mental health company based in Auckland. Businesses and organisations will be audited on inclusiveness and safety for the glbti community and if they stack up, they will be awarded a ‘Rainbow Tick’.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Wednesday, 30th July 2014 - 3:51pm