The Rainbow Coalition of Yellowknife officially rebranded as Northern Mosaic Network as of March 1.
There were multiple reasons for the change, according to the organization’s Facebook post.
“Recognition of the history of the name, Rainbow Coalition and its origins in Black LGBTQIPA+ organizing and advocacy helped to kickstart this process,” the post reads, attributed to the Northern Mosaic Network Board of directors and staff. “Though the organization works to be inclusive of and provides services to all community members, it is not run by Black people and does not predominantly serve Black community members, therefore operating under the name of Rainbow Coalition is not appropriate.”
Furthermore, although Yellowknife was previously in the network’s name, the group has a territorial mandate and does work outside of the city.
“We ultimately decided we needed to have a name and logo that was recognizable to our community but subtle enough that those who are not safe to wear rainbows felt comfortable to approach us for care and support.” the post states.
Along with the rebranding, a new website is expected to launch in the next week with information and outlining all changes that occurred.