Hamilton Pride celebrated at Wintec
As the LGBTTQIA+ community celebrates Hamilton Pride, Wintec | Te Pūkenga Āniwaniwa Alliance joined the festivities by hosting its own quiz night in support. This follows on from Wintec gaining the Rainbow Tick accreditation in last month.
Hamilton Pride kicked off on Sunday 16, April and goes until Saturday 29, April. You can find all the events here. Wintec Āniwaniwa Rainbow Coordinator Hazel Whitley said the events had been great so far.
“I've been to the picnic, the lighting ceremony, the cocktail party and of course the quiz night, and there has been such a bright and happy community spirit at all of them. There is a sense of joy at being together and celebrating together, despite some of the challenges and discrimination we still face.”
Āniwaniwa Alliance committee member Anna Tashkoff said the quiz night had been a real highlight. Over 80 people attended and the room was full of vibrant colour and laughter.
“It was incredibly uplifting to see the room filled to capacity with our people all having a great time, cracking jokes and matching wits; pride and personality on full display - camaraderie and kotahitanga even in the electric crackle of competition.”
Recently Wintec was awarded the Rainbow Tick, the accreditation is an acknowledgement of an organisation’s commitment to embracing the diversity of sexual and gender identities. Through displaying the Rainbow Tick certification mark, organisations can communicate that they are progressive, inclusive and dynamic, and reflect the communities they are based in.
As the Accreditation Lead for the Āniwaniwa Alliance, Allan Anderson, said he was incredibly proud of the dedication and hard mahi from both past and present members, and of the contributions of everyone who supported the Alliance in achieving this goal.
“For us, gaining the Rainbow Tick signifies a major step forward in creating an inclusive culture for all our rainbow ākonga and kaimahi. It recognises Wintec’s ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and shows that we have taken proactive steps to educate ourselves and our colleagues on issues facing the LGBTTQIA+ whānau. The accreditation sends a clear message to individuals and businesses across the motū that we are a rainbow friendly organisation and are committed to creating a supportive environment for underserved communities.”
He said the Āniwaniwa Alliance were so proud of the progress they had made and excited for what progress looked like for the future.
