On campus, diversity lives and diversity is flying. Rainbow flag raised on the university square of TU Braunschweig

As is customary for Braunschweig’s Christopher Street Day, the Progress Pride Flag was raised in the university square at Technische Universität Braunschweig. On Friday afternoon, students, staff and supporters gathered to send a joint message of social diversity, freedom and strong democracy.

Members of TU Braunschweig community show their support for the rainbow flag and the university’s commitment. Photo credit: Silja Klemenz/TU Braunschweig

TU Braunschweig has a long-standing tradition of flying the rainbow flag on Christopher Street Day. The date has been a fixed part of the university calendar since 2017.

Plurality as the driving force behind science

As a research-intensive university, TU Braunschweig thrives on academic freedom and open-minded exchange, both internally and externally. ‘The spirit of research is fuelled by freedom and diversity,’ emphasised TU President Angela Ittel. “Diverse perspectives are essential for originality and innovation. They inspire us to come up with new ideas and enrich our interactions. If we fail to appreciate differences, brilliant ideas will be missed, not to mention the harm that will be done to people’s lives. We cannot and will not allow that to happen at this university.”

Promoting diversity and cohesion on campus

The Diversity Office, which is part of the Equal Opportunities Unit and acts as a central point of contact for students, invited everyone to raise the flag.

“Today, we are flying the flag on our campus once again. This is a clear sign that we value the uniqueness of every individual at our university and that discrimination has no place here,” said Diversity Officer Zeliha Özdemir.Diversity and equality are firmly anchored as cross-cutting issues at TU Braunschweig. Active commitment to diversity and a willingness to implement structural changes are encouraged throughout the university.

The Senate reaffirms this stance. “The rainbow flag makes it clear that everyone is welcome here, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. It symbolises the values of our university and reminds us to put these values into practice. The Senate of TU Braunschweig fully supports the university’s commitment to diversity and the raising of this flag,” said Senate member Kai Brunzel.

This clear stance was also reflected in the large turnout of members of the university community, including students, staff and researchers, who accepted the invitation and demonstrated through their presence that commitment to diversity and respect is widely supported across the university. Many queer university groups, such as the LGBTIAQ* Student Network, the ‘Bunte Bib’ (Colourful Library) and the ‘Autonome FrauenLesben Referat’ (Autonomous Women’s and Lesbian Department), are dedicated to promoting diversity and the rights of the LGBTIAQ+ community at TU Braunschweig.

‘As Equal Opportunities Officer, I am dedicated to fostering equal opportunities and cultivating an environment that values diversity and is free from discrimination. Flying the flag here on our campus is an effective way of demonstrating solidarity and raising awareness of queer issues. In doing so, we are making an important contribution to a university culture in which everyone truly feels safe, respected and welcome,” says Ulrike Wrobel, Head of the Equal Opportunities Unit. ‘As an educational institution, we have a special responsibility to publicly represent social values.’

About the Pride Flag

Since its creation in 1978, the Pride flag has symbolised pride and empowerment among marginalised and oppressed groups, representing queer communities. In 2017, the non-binary graphic designer Daniel Quasar created the Progress Pride Flag. An expansion of the original rainbow flag, it incorporates additional colours and symbols representing queer people of colour, trans people, and drawing attention to the stigma surrounding AIDS. The flag shows that people can experience different forms of oppression, such as queerphobia and racism, simultaneously. The Progress Pride Flag has since been updated by Valentino Vecchietti to better represent and recognise intersex people.