Today is 'Wear it Purple Day' and I'm wearing my purple shirt with pride.
As the sponsor of Aurizon's LGBTIQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer) and Allies Network this day is extremely important. It is a day where we can wear purple to show our support for what we stand for – equality regardless of sexual orientation. A day where we can show our colleagues and friends that they have a safe, supportive and empowering workforce.
At Aurizon, we have over 100 members of our LGBTIQ and Allies Network, and this number grows weekly. We believe that all of our employees should feel safe enough and comfortable enough to be able to bring their whole self to work.
Some of the statistics are sobering – 50% of LGBTIQ people experience homophobic jokes/remarks in the workplace and just over a quarter of LGBTIQ people experience aggression or unwelcome questions about their status.
So wear purple today to show everyone that they have a right to be proud of themselves.
by Mike Franczak - Executive Vice President of Operations