We are the Change: Wear it Purple Day 2020
Wear it Purple Day is an annual celebration to recognise the successes and struggles of young rainbow people. For 2020, we have gathered some online resources to celebrate the day at home
This Friday, August 28 is Wear it Purple Day, an annual day to celebrate and raise awareness for young LGBTQI+ people. The theme of Wear it Purple Day 2020 is “We are the Change”, a timely reminder that exemplary societal change starts with each individual.
What is Wear it Purple Day all about?
Wear it Purple was founded as a response to stories of bullying and harassment toward young LGBTQI+ people, often occurring as a result of a lack of acceptance of their gender identity or sexual orientation.
Unfortunately, as a result, young LBGTQI+ people are far more at risk of depression and anxiety. Days like Wear it Purple aim to reduce the risk and raise awareness for the fantastic contributions young rainbow people make toward our communities.
Over the years, Wear it Purple day has evolved to also be a day of celebration, with members of the community encouraged to wear purple clothing on the day to show their support.
How do I celebrate Wear it Purple, iso-style?
At GOTAFE, we stand firmly as allies to all people from all backgrounds, and we proudly fly the Rainbow Flag at the front of all 9 of our campuses as a reflection of this.
Typically, GOTAFE would recognise Wear it Purple Day with a celebratory event and a sea of purple splattered across our campuses. But while we are all at home there are also many other great ways to can show your support and celebrate young LBTQI+ people this Friday. Why not download the Zoom or Microsoft Teams Wear it Purple poster to display during class this week? This is a great visual way to recognise the day and show support. Also, the Wear it Purple website is filled with loads of fabulous resources and suggestions about how you can get involved.
And while we can’t celebrate together in style this year, let’s all still celebrate by wearing purple on Friday all day, no matter where we are.
If you need support, QLife is a free webchat and phone service offering counselling and support for LGBTQI+ youth. Get in touch by calling 1800 184 527 (between 3pm-midnight daily) or visit the QLife website.
Switchboard is also a great service available to LGBTQI+ youth in Victoria, it is a peer-to-peer service that is available to chat about anything, anytime. You can get in contact by calling 1800 184 527 or visiting the Switchboard website.
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