Massey’s Rainbow Tick only supports queer staff, not students

Massey ticks off the box to say it supports rainbow staff, and despite constant advertising of their Rainbow Tick certification, it doesn’t include support for rainbow students.  

The Rainbow Tick is about accepting and valuing people in the workplace, embracing the diversity of sexual and gender identities.  

The university became Rainbow Tick accredited in 2017 and was reaccredited in 2022.  

Some believed the Rainbow Tick company was falling into despair as more reports of people waiting months for email responses emerged. 

In a Massey News article published in February announcing the launch of Massey’s rainbow platform Kāhui Irarau, Massey states, “Catering for nearly 30,000 domestic and international ākonga (students) each year, the university received Rainbow Tick certification in 2017 and is committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment for all its staff and students.” 

Massey currently has no dedicated rainbow spaces or rooms for LGBTQIA+ students and Rainbow Tick training for staff is not mandatory.  

General president of Te Tira Ahu Pae Jake Law emailed Rainbow Tick earlier this year, questioning Massey’s Rainbow Tick certification, but has not received a response. 

 He felt the way Massey advertised the Rainbow Tick was “misleading” for students.  

“I don’t believe that the university is a safe space for queer students.” 

Rainbow Tick was known within the queer community as being tokenistic as it’s easy to get and covers the bare minimum for inclusion. 

Carlee Gregory, rainbow representative, said you’d expect the tick would extend to everyone in the university, “It can give the impression that they're doing more than what they're actually doing”. 

“It's like a seal of approval according to these little criteria … once they’ve got that seal of approval it feels like they don’t have to put in more effort”.  

The rainbow reps said Pride Pledge, which pledges a dedication to the safety and inclusion of rainbow members in the community, would be a better certification for the university.  

However, Gregory did not feel Massey was at the point where it would be eligible for the Pride Pledge certification.  

She felt the university needed more rainbow training for staff and all gender bathrooms.  

A Massey University spokesperson said, “We know that providing a safe and welcoming space for staff means our students will benefit as well.”  

They acknowledged the need for more work beyond just a Rainbow Tick certification. 

“While the certification assists in laying the foundations of rainbow and takatāpui inclusion at an organisation, additional development is required.”  

They said Rainbow Tick offers LGBTQIA+ online modules and workshops for Massey staff which are encouraged but not mandatory.  

276 Massey staff members had participated in workshops in 2022, with a further 193 this year.  

The Pasifika president of Te Tira Ahu Pae, Aniva Feau, said, “It can be quite dangerous, people coming here thinking that they’re gonna have a physically safe space that they can come to and then that not being the case.” 

Rainbow rep Ryan Davidson said it wasn’t made clear to students that Rainbow Tick supports staff alone even when promoted “so often to new students”.  

Davidson felt Rainbow Tick was something that made the university look good, while Pride Pledge is an ongoing commitment to rainbow students and staff all year round.  

However, Katrina Anderson, Manawatū rainbow rep appreciated that Massey was taking more steps towards supporting rainbow students including having rainbow reps.  

Albany rainbow rep Benjamin Watt said a pledge to support and do more for queer students sends a better message than ticking a box just to meet the bare minimum.  

“It feels like you're just ticking a box to say ‘yes I’m gay friendly’,” Watt said.  

Plans by Te Tira Ahu Pae to open a rainbow space in the Manawatū campus are underway, aiming to open this semester.