Every year thousands of schools, community organisations, universities and workplaces hold events across Australia for Wear It Purple Day. As a day of significance for many Australians, it focuses on our LGBTQIA+ youth and the issues they face, whilst showing them they have the right to be proud of who they are and who they are becoming.
Wear It Purple Day is now an international movement of expression, celebration and support. By wearing purple on the last Friday of August, you will demonstrate to hundreds of thousands of rainbow young people across Australia that you see them, you support them, and you respect them.
Write Your Story
This year’s theme, “Write Your Story”, is created by Wear It Purple’s Youth Action Council (YAC) to give voice to growing rhetoric in the LGBTQIA+ youth community around the importance of personal expression and individuality.
Who are Wear It Purple?
Wear It Purple is a volunteer-led and run organisation that focuses on creating safe spaces for rainbow youth in schools, universities, workplaces and public spaces. Founded in 2000, Wear It Purple was founded in response to many global stories of teenagers taking their own lives due to bullying and harassment. These real stories, real responses and real heartbreak resulted from a lack of acceptance, a lack of community, support and safety due to their sexuality or gender identity.
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 12 times more likely to experience depression and up to 5 x more likely to experience anxiety. Wear it Purple Day is about changing this.
What can I do to get involved?
- Wear something purple this Friday, 25 August to show your support.
- Celebrate, listen to and learn from the LGBTQIA+ people in your life.
Resources, communications support and a donation hub can be found on the .
