Wear it Purple Day
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 128 No 7, 29 September 2023, page no. 13
Wear it Purple was founded in 2010 in response to the experiences of LGBTQ+ young people and the global rise in suicide statistics.
Since then, it has developed into an international movement. What started out as a small initiative has grown, but the message year after year remains the same – everybody has the right to be proud of who they are.
On the wrist bands given out for Wear it Purple Day (25 August) you will find the letters LGBTIQA+ – lesbian, gay, bi, transgender, intersex, queer, asexual and the plus, which encompasses all other sexual orientations and gender expressions.
Being LGBTIQA+ isn’t a choice, a lifestyle, or a passing phase. It is being who we are and loving who we do – in spite of all the barriers, the ignorance, the othering, and the bigoted legislation. And despite visibility initiatives, support, and wider societal acceptance, our young LGBTIQA+ people are in crisis. The current media climate, especially the vile and transphobic legislation currently sweeping through the United States, is having an adverse impact on allyship in our own society.
The rise of fear is something that must be countered at all costs. Because if we don’t, if we don’t stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ students we teach, our identifying colleagues, friends and family, the outlook is bleak.
As a teacher who openly identifies as gay, I shared some of my own experiences at May State Council around the homophobia I encounter on a regular basis. And as a teacher, I truly believe in the diversity of role models and about creating a space in my classroom that is safe for all our young people to learn and grow. This is regardless of any homophobic experiences that I may face personally.
So, whether it is Wear it Purple Day or not, I invite you to be courageous. To stand up against the current media climate and be a present and visible ally. Because it matters. I can’t even begin to tell you how much just seeing State Council delegates in purple meant to me.
Can you imagine how much of a difference this one simple act would mean to our young people? Thank you also to our Lead Union Reps and the internal QTU employees who wore purple to mark the occasion and to the workplaces who wore purple in solidarity with the students you teach.