THE University of Newcastle has unveiled a permanent rainbow-coloured pedestrian crossing in front of the Chancellery building, as part of its Pride Week 2020.
The rainbow flag - which is also known as the Pride flag - is a symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer and allies (LGBTIQA+) pride and social movements.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Alex Zelinsky AO welcomed the installation and said it demonstrated UON's commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
"The university's Pride Week started as a grass roots, student-led fight for visibility, and has grown to what is now a broader institution-wide celebration," Professor Zelinsky said.
"Having a permanent rainbow crossing means that beyond the week of celebration our LGBTIQA+ students and staff know that they are accepted, embraced and supported by our community."
The crossing is based on the Philadelphia flag, which incorporates brown and black lines to represent all people of colour.
The transgender flag was also incorporated into the design.
A second rainbow crossing will be installed at the Ourimbah campus later this year.
Queer Collective convenor TJ Hay said while Pride Week focused on celebrating queerness in all of its forms, it was also a time for advocacy and education.
"One of the aims of Pride is to provide opportunities for people to gain more knowledge about the LGBTIQA+ community and strengthen our ties with other members of the university community," TJ said.
"It's also a time to reflect on the work that has been done to try to meet the needs of queer students and what still needs to be done."
