Proud to be union, proud to be queer.

Te Hautū Kahurangi | Tertiary Education Union held a successful National Rainbow Hui a fortnight ago in Pōneke | Wellington. Members came together from all across Aotearoa to talk about topics such as creating safe spaces, queering the public face of the union, and getting rainbow voices heard.

One of the day’s participants, Waipapa Taumata Rau | The University of Auckland’s Rosaria Price says, “It was great to come together as a network and discuss what it means to be a queer worker in tertiary education, and how we can work to make the union more inclusive of workers from all walks of life.”

“We had a really constructive discussion about the issues facing us as workers, and what Te Kahukura’s next steps as part of the Union might look like, and how to be present for our fellow rainbow unionists. Some really amazing ideas were floated by my fellow delegates and members of the Advisory group, and I’m really excited for what’s next for Te Kahukura and the Union.”

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | The University of Canterbury’s Kaspar Middendorf says, "many of our Rainbow members, especially in small branches, can feel isolated, so the hui was a wonderful opportunity for us to form connections and support each other."

"Making our union a more welcoming space for our Rainbow members is something I've been advocating for a long time, so it's exciting to be making such great progress. I'm looking forward to seeing some of our ideas be put into practice very soon – watch this space!"