EVBox raises awareness for LGBTQIA+ community in Amsterdam through colorful EV charging stations

AMSTERDAM, July 29, 2022 — Since 2018, EVBox has covered its Amsterdam public charging stations in rainbow colors to help to raise awareness for the LGTBQIA+ community during PRIDE week. This year, the charging solutions provider is working yet again with Vattenfall to support the Dutch LGTBQIA+ association COC. Over the past five years, more than 15,000€ have been collected and donated thanks to this initiative.

During the Dutch PRIDE week (July 30 - August 7, 2022), 130 Amsterdam public charging stations will receive a makeover with colorful stickers and all charging revenue from these stations will be donated to COC—EVBox will match the sum collected via the charging sessions. 

Pride Amsterdam’s theme for 2022 is “My Gender, My Pride”. On their website, Pride Amsterdam states that the objective for the foundation is for everyone to feel free to be themselves, without an imposed norm from the outside world. Their focus is to advocate for all gender identities and everyone's right to self-determination.

The colorful stickers on Amsterdam’s EV charging stations will also include a QR-code that leads to a video series that will help to educate people about gender identities by presenting the personal stories of members of the LGBTQIA+ community. For this initiative, EVBox and Vattenfall employees that are part of the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as members of the COC, have been interviewed at the EVBox office.

Learn more about PRIDE, personal stories of members of the LGBTQIA+ community and COC

Get to know more about PRIDE, the initiative, and about gender identity over at evbox.com/pride-2022. 

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Below you can have a look at interviews EVBox conducted at their offices to help shine some light on some of the community’s personal stories. 

• Learn about Tália’s story here.
• Learn about Erik’s story here.

• Learn about Zette’s story here.

• Learn about Finn's story here.

EVBox believes that companies have the responsibility to give a platform to people from all backgrounds to achieve an interconnected and open culture. EVBox stands with the LGBTQIA+ community and will continue to support and protect LGBTQIA+ employees. Learn more here.

EVBox’s PRIDE initiative started five years ago. The company and its partners (like Vattenfall) have been able to donate over 25.000€ so far. This year, 10,000€ was raised for COC Netherlands through the PRIDE charging station campaign, the largest annual donation amount to date. EVBox and Vattenfall employees delivered the check to Freek Janssens, Coordinator of Policy & Acquisition National at COC Netherlands, in the COC headquarter office. Here is some insight on how COC uses the donations from the past years to support some of their activities:

• They’ve supported Gender & Sexuality Alliances (GSAs) in schools across the Netherlands. GSAs are groups of students, both LBGTQIA+ and allies, who create safe spaces in schools, raise awareness through various campaigns (like ‘Purple Friday’), and improve policy. The number of GSAs at schools has increased drastically over the past years to over 80% of Dutch schools. Research has shown that at schools with GSA, students feel safer and more at home.

• They’ve supported small scale initiatives throughout the Netherlands via their ‘Bob Angelo Fund’. This fund is for small local initiatives organized by and for the community, who otherwise might not get funded. Activities took place in the past years including a dinner for elderly LBTQIA+ people, a film screening and panel discussion for bicultural LBTQIA+ people, and a private booking of a swimming pool for transgender people. 
• They organize monthly 'Cocktail' meetings. The meetings are for LBTQIA+ asylum seekers and refugees that take place throughout the country. For people new in the Netherlands, it can sometimes be hard to build a social network and feel safe and respected. At ‘Cocktail’, individuals are encouraged to be themselves, open up and make new friends in a safe space.