Wear it Purple Day is about showing LGBTQ+ young people that they have the right to be proud of who they are. It is about creating safe spaces in schools, universities, workplaces and public spaces to show LGBTQ+ young people that they are seen and supported.
Every year thousands of schools, community organisations, universities and workplaces organise events across Australia, and through these actions, directly and indirectly, we’ll reach hundreds of thousands of young people, meaning that young LGBTQ+ people will benefit from seeing the respect, recognition, love and inclusion that surrounds them.
This year’s theme is “Start the conversation… keep it going”.
This theme focuses on the important and necessary conversations we have in our daily life; particularly those that centre around sexual orientation and gender identity. It aims to remind people that the issues we reflect on during Wear it Purple Day should not only be considered on that particular day… but every day.
If we are to empower rainbow young people to be proud of who they are, and who they might become, we need to encourage and support them each day in the classroom or workplace. The importance of pronouns and gender affirmation, as well as the use of inclusive language, is a great place to start.
“We hear from young LGBTQ+ people in our Wear it Purple Youth Action Council (YAC) and broader youth networks that they face fear of being rejected or discriminated against. Research shows us that 75% of LGBTQ+ youth will be bullied just for being who they are.
Our schools, universities, and workplaces can play an active and visible role to change this statistic, making it clear that this behaviour is not tolerated, and by consciously including rainbow young people so they know they are safe, and that they have the right to be proud of who they are.
The power of storytelling and visibility enables our rainbow youth to hear from those who have gone before them, their struggles and triumphs, and know that no matter where they’re at right now, there is so much hope and a million possibilities awaiting them.
That’s why we are inviting the community to wear purple on Friday 27th of August, and to Start the conversation, and keep it going”
Ross Wetherbee, President – Wear it Purple
Who are Wear it Purple?
- Community Organisation/Charity of the Year at the 2019 Australian LGBTI Awards
- 100% volunteer-run, from our youth leaders to the board.
In 2010, several rainbow young people took their own lives following bullying and harassment resulting from the lack of acceptance of their sexuality or gender identity. Wear it Purple was founded in 2010 in response to these global stories of real teenagers, real heartache and their very real responses.
What’s happening around us today and why is this important?
75% of LGBTIQ+ youth in Australia will be bullied because of their identity.
80% will experience it at school. Because of this, LGBTIQ+ youth are up to 12x more likely to experience depression and up to 5x more likely to experience anxiety.
Source: Writing Themselves in 3, La Trobe University 2 6% general population (LGBTI People Mental Health & Suicide - LGBTIQ Health Alliance) vs 75% of trans / gender diverse youth (Trans Pathways, Telefone Kids). Higher rates experienced by people from regional / rural areas and Indigenous youth. 3 14% of the general population (LGBTI People Mental Health & Suicide - LGBTIQ Health Alliance) vs 72% of Trans and Gender Diverse Youth (Trans Pathways, Telefone Kids)
What impact will Wear it Purple events, campaigns and support have on rainbow youth?
One of Wear it Purple’s priorities is to support schools to run Wear it Purple Day events to show LGBTQ+ youth that they are supported and that they belong. Wear it Purple provides free resources to schools and supports as many as possible with guest speakers from Wear it Purple’s Youth Action Council. All donations and funds raised by Wear it Purple go to supporting LGBTQ+ youth
What can I do to get involved?
Resources, communications support and donation hub can be found on the Wear it Purple website: https://www.wearitpurple.org
