Wear it Purple, is an annual LGBTIQA+ awareness day in Australia, especially for young people. It falls this year on 27th of August, and strives to foster supportive, safe, empowering, and inclusive environments for young people that identify as LGBTIQA+. Wear it Purple Day started in 2010 as the result of LGBTIQA+ young people sharing real stories of heartache, bullying, harassment, and lack of acceptance.
“Start the Conversation…Keep it Going”
The theme of this year centres around necessary conversations we have in our daily lives relating to sexual orientation and gender identity. The brave members of the LGBTIQA+ community have historically demonstrated resistance to oppressive systems, legalities, health injustices and heterosexual, cis-gendered societal scripts to claim and be who they truly are. This yearâs theme reminds us that these issues need to be discussed and considered all year round, not just on one particular day.
Young people deserve to feel proud of who they are and to feel included in the community, in classrooms, and in workplaces. Everyone has a part to play as an ally, whether engaged in a conversation over a family dinner to voice solidarity, in your workplaces, internet forums, social gatherings, in classrooms and any other setting where these important conversations should be happening.
This Wear it Purple Day, we would also like to acknowledge the intersections and important young voices that need to be amplified including those who are Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, culturally and linguistically diverse and those who are living with a disability.
Some Things You Can Do to Support the LGTBIQA+ Community:
- Adapt your language to demonstrate respect for diversity. For example, you might ask if someone has a partner as opposed to a girlfriend or boyfriend, or acknowledge a group of people by stating âhi allâ or âhi everyoneâ.
- If someone discloses to you that they identify as part of the LGBTIQA+ community, ask how they might identity/describe themselves as and then use those terms.
- If you notice that a young person is misgendered (if someone does not accurately reflect the gender with which they identify), or if something that is expressed is discriminatory or homophobic/transphobic, bring awareness to this, of course if it is safe to do so.
- Share a post on social media showing support to the LGBTIQA+ community; or if you are a person with a platform, record a message of support for the community.
- Share queer literature or inspiring persons of the rainbow community, for example, the inspiring Marsha P. Johnson.
LGBTIQA+ Resources
- LGBTIQA+ Resource Hub:Â A content hub full of LGBTIQA+ resources for young people, schools and services to help stop discrimination and increase LGBTIQA+ youth inclusiveness within our communities.
- LBGTIQA+ Youth Service Directory: A directory of youth support services, social groups, culturally specific services and special days and events for young people who identify as LGBTIQA+ and their friends and families.
- GLISTEN Youth Social Groups: On the first Monday of every month, 2Connect in conjunction with Kogarah Community Services runs a youth social group for young people aged up to 18 years who identify as LGBTIQA+, and their friends. This social group is a safe space where young LGBTIQA+ young people can come and celebrate who they are, meet likeminded others, and have some fun! Â These groups are currently run online via Zoom.
More Info on Wear it Purple Day
For more information of how you can get involved in Wear it Purple Day to show your support, visit: www.wearitpurple.org and www.minus18.org.au/articles/what-is-wear-it-purple-day
2Connect is Here to Help
If you are aged 18 and under and identify as LGBTIQA+ and live, work or study in the Bayside and Georges River areas and need one-on-one or family support, contact us at reconnect@2connect.org.au
If you live, work or study outside of the Bayside and Georges River areas, please contact 2Connect Youth & Community on (02) 9556 1769.