Businesses and organisations in Wales are to be awarded accreditation for being positive in their dealings with LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people. The Rainbow Mark is designed to improve the lives of gay employees and citizens.

The scheme, which was set up by the LGBT Excellence Centre Wales and is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government, was first tested on organisations providing housing. It has now expanded to included businesses and social care providers such as restaurants,  local authorities, and schools.

The main focus of the mark will be the actual experiences of gay people with accreditation being evidence-based.

There will also be a confidential hotline where people can complain about any homophobia from organisations.

The LGBT Excellence Centre's chief executive Federico Podeschi said:
“This new equality standard is a very significant step towards embedding LGBT equality and diversity across all sectors and to developing standards for answering the needs of LGBT people.

“The LGBT Excellence Centre will be working with all its members to share experience and expertise on equality.

“While the Rainbow Mark is flexible in order to suit the needs of most organisations and businesses, it also contains guidance and advice and provides access to many resources, policies, models, and examples of good practice.  This will make it easier and cheaper for every member organisation and business to carry out their work, embed good equality practice resulting in greater equality for the LGBT communities we all serve.”

For more information view:
www.ecwales.org.uk