The widely publicised “War on DEI”, fuelled by Trump-era politics and echoing long-standing capitalist campaigns that dehumanise workers in favour of short-term profitability (despite extensive research confirming the long-term financial and ethical value of investing in workplace diversity, equity and inclusion), raised a troubling question for us as a business: would our core service be deprioritised or abandoned altogether in Australian workplaces?

We watched with trepidation as large-scale, mainstream organisations publicly withdrew support for LGBTIQA+ initiatives and reduced their investment in DEI policies and practices. A mentor of mine even mused that having a name as unapologetic as “Queer Town” could become a liability in such a turbulent climate.

I found myself thinking back to 2017, when Queer Town was still just an exercise book filled with brainstorming lists, business model diagrams and poorly drawn logo concepts. I knew then that if I called the business something more palatable to the mainstream, like “Rainbow Town”, we would face fewer barriers when engaging workplaces and schools. But the word “queer” captured everything the organisation I was imagining stood for: reclamation, empowerment, social change, boldness and authenticity.

That tension became more tangible when a long-term partner, a well-known and highly respected national organisation, pulled the plug on a project we had spent months building together, without clear explanation, despite our efforts to salvage the meaningful work.

And yet, despite the sense that we were approaching a tipping point, the response from our other clients and partners was heartening. Not only did they continue to invest in LGBTIQA+ inclusion, multiple HR leaders echoed the sentiment that they planned to double down on embedding DEI into their cultures.

They stayed true to that commitment. In addition to the rest of our clients sticking with us, our reach grew by more than two-thirds compared to the previous year!

In Queer Town’s 2024 Impact Report, I named 2025 as our year of sustainability. Despite being tested early, I’m proud to say we took a big swing and achieved that goal.

One of the most significant ways we did so was through the launch and scale of our LGBTIQA+ 101 Digital Short Course. Built in consultation with HR leaders across Australia and piloted by organisations including GMHBA, the course was designed to increase access to crucial education, particularly for those living and working in regional and remote parts of the country, while enabling Queer Town to scale and sustain our impact through digital delivery.