Celebrating Wear It Purple Day with pride

Founded in 2010, Wear It Purple strives to foster an inclusive and supportive space for LGBTQIA+ people globally.

The day aims to celebrate and promote the value of diversity and inclusion in the wider community - a sentiment RACQ extends across its organisation and through the Club’s LGBTQIA+ Employee Resource Group (ERG), Affinity.

This year, with the theme of ‘Write Your Story’ RACQ is encouraging its’ people to embrace their uniqueness and share their own personal stories.

Based around how storytelling has been a pivotal part of First Nations culture, the Wear It Purple 2023 theme represents the importance of people taking ownership of their narratives and sharing their experiences in their own voices.

Co-Chair of RACQ’s Affinity ERG, AJ Staib said the day was an important one on Affinity’s calendar and it’s been great to see the wider RACQ team get involved.

“At RACQ we’re committed to ensuring our people have the opportunity to grow, flourish and be their authentic selves no matter who they are,” Mr Staib said.

“Wear It Purple Day is an important day for Affinity, and it was great to see everyone embracing the day by wearing purple, hosting their own celebrations, sharing their stories and creating more connections.”

“The next event we will celebrate is the Brisbane Pride Festival march on 23 September where we will again show our support of the LGBTQIA+ community on behalf of Queensland’s largest Club.”

Affinity member and RACQ employee, Obsidian, took the opportunity to share her story which you can read below.

RACQ employees celebrating Wear It Purple Day. 

Obsidian’s Story

Growing up, I often felt like I was living two lives: one as a conforming individual striving to meet societal expectations, and the other as the real me, hidden away waiting to break free. It wasn’t until I discovered the world of drag that I found the courage to unite these two worlds.

Becoming a drag queen isn’t just about great makeup and extravagant costumes, it’s about self-discovery, self-expression and unapologetic embrace of individuality. It’s also about stepping onto the stage as your most authentic self, regardless of societal norms or judgements.

In drag, I discovered a community that welcomed diversity and celebrated uniqueness in each of us. This journey has taught me that authenticity is the most powerful form of self-expression.