This year marks the 10th anniversary of Wear It Purple Day, an initiative set up by young people to recognise that LGBTIQ (Gay, Lesbian, Transgender, Intersex and Queer/Questioning) young people have the right to be who they are, and can be proud of who they are.
Initially created to counteract a spate of high profile LGBTIQ youth suicides due to bullying, Wear It Purple was established to show young people that there is hope, that there are people who support and accept them, and that they have the right to be proud of who they are.
Since 2010, Wear it Purple has developed into a huge movement led by young people. People of all ages and backgrounds come together to promote this annual expression of support and acceptance to rainbow young people wherever they are.
Wear It Purple started out a as a small gesture of support and has now grown with Wear It Purple Days being held across Australia and even internationally. While the themes change each year, the message remains the same: Everybody has the right to be proud of who they are.
2020’s theme is We Are The Change! This year’s theme envisions the importance of encouragement, empowerment and emphasis on making effective change for LGBTQ+ folks and all minority groups.
As Wear It Purple states, “LGBTQ+ people exist in all diverse communities, ethnic backgrounds, religions, socio-economic status, genders, neuro-diversity groups. And it is our duty, as young people, to motivate, inspire and uplift our generation and future generations to create spaces for all minority groups to feel safe.
WE ARE THE CHANGE represents us, as a generation, implementing productive and inclusive changes in society. Now, more than ever, is a time to incorporate safety, inclusion and empowerment in schools and workplaces to fight adversity and marginalisation.”
Federation has worked with Wear It Purple throughout the years to promote their message of support and continues to do so. Ensuring that young people feel safe, valued and connected to their school communities is an important aspect of student wellbeing which leads to personal and academic growth.
We are proud to stand with our teaching colleagues and students on August 28th to celebrate Wear It Purple Day. We are proud to be part of a movement that has the potential to save thousands of lives. And we encourage you to be part of this change.