Wear It Purple

Wear It Purple Day

Friday, August 25th is Wear It Purple day and we encourage you to add a splash of purple to your outfit and show support for young LGBTIQA+ people.

Wear it Purple was founded in 2010 in response to bullying and harassment directed at rainbow youth. Wear it Purple Day advocates for safe and inclusive environments, raises awareness and champions the rights of LGBTIQA+ young people globally.

Why is this day so important?

Research shows that at least 10% of the national school population is attracted to the same sex or multiple genders & 4% of the school population are transgender or gender diverse.

A recent national survey reported that:

• 83.3% of LGBTIQA+ people experience very high levels of psychological distress.

• 62.1% reported they feel unsafe at school.

• 33.8% reported missing days due to bullying or harassment.

There are simple things we can all do to support rainbow youth and help bring down these numbers.

• Education yourself – talk to people from the LGBTIQA+ community or search for information online.

• Actively Listen to queer friends and understand some of the issue and challenges they might be going through.

• Support your queer mates. Let them know you stand by them.

• Use pronouns to affirm your friends gender identity. Use the name and pronouns your friends want you to use. And if you’re unsure, just ask respectfully.

• Call out negative behaviour. Speak out when someone is being bullied or harassed.

• Engage in queer media to hear from diverse voices and learn new things.

• And finally, Be visible. Embrace your friends and learn from their experiences. Support your friends through days like wear it purple. Make it known you value them.

While Wear It Purple Day raises awareness of these issues, we encourage you support LGBTIQA+ young people year-round.

To find out more about how to be a good ally, to learn more about the LGBTIQA+ community or to get involved in a queer social group, head to gaspgeelong.org.au.