Welcome to the University of Birmingham Rainbow Network! This webpage contains the information about all of our activities to help you to understand how we operate.
How we support you
- If you would like to meet with a committee member to be introduced to the Rainbow Network, we will be very happy to support this (whether you are a new member or not). This will allow us to discuss these activities in more detail, share merchandise (including our branded rainbow lanyards) with you, and give you somebody to recognise at any future events which you may attend.
- We send a monthly newsletter to you via our mailing lists in Mailjet. If you have any events, activities, news, or research that you would like us to share and help to promote, get in touch! (Please note that communications are planned well in advance, so it is helpful if you can give at least a couple of weeks notice.)
- The Rainbow Network is led by a committee of volunteers. Committee meetings take place monthly, and all members are welcome to attend. The dates of committee meetings can be found in our newsletters, calendar, and monthly email updates. Committee members with named roles are elected at our Annual General Meeting which generally takes place in late June, and all Rainbow Network members are invited to join the committee as a general committee member.
- We run active social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
- We run monthly socials, alternating between alcohol serving and non-alcohol serving venues. These currently take place on the first Thursday of each month, and full details can be found in our newsletters, calendar, and Facebook page.
- Monthly coffee meetings take place on campus for members of ALL University of Birmingham staff networks. These are organised by HR and requests for information should be sent to equality@contacts.bham.ac.uk. These will often be advertised in our newsletters and calendar.
- We march in Birmingham Pride parade which takes place each year on the last Saturday of May. All Rainbow Network members are invited to join us along with +1(s) and under-16s.
- If you are experiencing any sort of issue at the University relating to your LGBTQ+ identity and want to discuss it on an informal basis, a committee member can meet with you to give you a safe space to do this. We cannot commit ourselves to formally resolving these issues, but we can signpost you to parts of the University which can.
- If you are travelling abroad and want to informally speak to an LGBTQ+ person with experience of living in the country which you are travelling to, we may be able to put you in touch with another Rainbow Network member. Visit our global mobility scheme webpage for more details.
- When the time comes for you to leave the University, we would love to stay in touch with you. Email the committee before you leave if you would like to continue to receive our emails and we can add your personal email address to our Associate Member mailing list.
- Are you a contractor at the University, or do you work for a partner organisation? You are welcome to get involved with Rainbow Network activities as well! Email the committee and ask to join our Associate Member mailing list.
How you can support us
- One of the main ways in which we raise awareness of the Rainbow Network and our activities is by word of mouth. Tell your colleagues about us, encourage them to join our mailing list, and proudly display our postcards and merchandise in your office and around campus!
- Contact the committee if you are organising an LGBTQ+-themed event. We like to keep a record of what is going on around campus, and we will also be able to help you to promote the event through our newsletters and social media accounts!
- If you have an idea or are working on a project which you think is relevant to the Rainbow Network and/or our members, and you would like our support or consultancy, contact the committee and we will be happy to help.
- If you have experience living in one or more other countries, please sign up to our global mobility scheme - we may occasionally invite you to informally chat to other Rainbow Network members about your experiences if they are planning to travel to those countries.
- Consider having a Rainbow Network profile created for yourself - you can choose whether this is available to the public or just University of Birmingham staff. Email the committee if you would be interested.
- Careers Network runs a student LGBTQ+ Mentoring Scheme, for which you may be interested in volunteering.
- If you want to get more involved, you are welcome to join the committee at any time (either as a general committee member, filling a vacant named committee position, or standing for election at an AGM).
You can contact the committee to request more information about any of this at lgbtq@contacts.bham.ac.uk.