28 Aug 2020
Wear it Purple Day is an opportunity to connect as a community and support each other and a celebration of the spirit of LGBTIQ+ youth. It is a day of acceptance and a day to raise awareness that, while we have made progress, young LGBTIQ+ people still experience discrimination, prejudice and harassment in our community.
The theme for 2020’s Wear it Purple Day is ‘We are the Change’.
While we rightly celebrate Wear it Purple Day, it also serves as a reminder that we are still working to foster supportive, safe, empowering and inclusive environments across ACT public schools for all same sex attracted, intersex and gender diverse children and young people every day.
By wearing purple, or supporting a Wear it Purple Day activity, we are showing young people that they are seen, supported and have the right to be proud of who they are.
We know that the rates of suicide and self-harm among LGBTIQ+ people are disproportionately high. Experiences of exclusion and discrimination have very real and long-lasting effects on young people’s mental health, academic outcomes and the self-confidence and sense of worth necessary to lead happy and fulfilling lives.
Educational leaders work with their school communities to create safe and inclusive environments to enable all students and staff to be welcomed and accepted for who they are.
We are working to make our schools and workplaces safe spaces for LGBTIQ+ students, staff and families through increased awareness, professional learning, policies and practice.
The ACT Government is committed to delivering equitable outcomes for all LGBTIQ+ people, including though the launch of the Capital of Equality Strategy last year.