Vodafone is celebrating Pride Month by spreading goodwill across Aotearoa in support of the LGBTQI+ community, as part of its commitment to diversity and inclusion.

The Vodafone Rainbow Whānau, the company’s LGBTQI+ employee committee with more than 300 members and allies, will be present at Big Gay Out on 9 February for the second year running, and the Wellington Pride Youth Ball on 29 February. The Rainbow Whānau along with the company’s social channels will have a more LGBTQI+ inclusive presence through activities and initiatives they are proud of via @VodafoneNZ on Instagram, Snapchat and the Vodafone New Zealand Facebook page.

Vodafone NZ Rainbow Whānau Chairperson, Darren Mendonsa says, “This pride month we are proud to share what we do all year round to make our company inclusive of all gender identities and sexualities in Aotearoa. Businesses have an important role to play in fostering social change, and that begins with our people being able to be their authentic selves at work. I’m incredibly grateful and proud to be part of an organisation whose leadership empowers us to make decisions, have thought-provoking conversations and create change through gender pronoun recognition on our work signatures, lunch and learn sessions and our quarterly LGBTQI+ focused newsletter, Rainbow Quarterly.”

Vodafone NZ and the Rainbow Whānau have recently started a quarterly LGBTQI+ focused newsletter, Rainbow Quarterly, written by staff for staff.

Hannah Copeland, one of the Rainbow Whānau Leads and Editor of Rainbow Quarterly says, “I’m incredibly grateful to be supported and encouraged to work on passion projects like the Rainbow Quarterly by my team at Vodafone. The Rainbow Quarterly is a fun way to raise visibility of LGBTQI+ all year round and share our community with our colleagues and allies. The internal reaction to the first and second issues has been overwhelmingly positive which has been amazing.”

Vodafone has a zero tolerance stance for discrimination based on gender identity or sexuality, and works closely with leading diversity and inclusion organisations including InsideOUT, Rainbow Tick and Diversity Works NZ on the development of materials and programmes for each of its initiatives. This deeply embedded culture of inclusion that values and leverages the diversity of its people allows Vodafone to better serve its customers and community.

Ways that Vodafone is celebrating Pride:

· Auckland – Vodafone is the official telecommunications sponsor Big Gay Out held from midday on Sunday 9 February at Coyle Park, Point Chevalier.

· Wellington – Vodafone will be sponsoring the Wellington Pride Youth Ball on 29 February, and will also be holding workshops helping LGBTQI+ youth with their CV’s and interview skills, as well safety in the workplace.

· Queenstown – Vodafone will continue to sponsor the volunteer crew at the Winter Pride festival in August.

· In main centre offices –The Rainbow Whānau is also welcoming staff and customers this month with a rainbow crossing which has been installed in front of the company’s head office in Auckland, and similar crossings and decals in other offices in Christchurch and Wellington.

Vodafone’s Rainbow Whānau committee started in 2015 and runs Vodafone’s LGBTQI+ activities with support from the executive team and other stakeholders across the business.