Wear It Purple

About Wear It Purple

This copy is from the official Wear It Purple website

Wear it Purple was founded in 2010 in response to global stories of real teenagers, real heartache and their very real responses. In 2010, several rainbow young people took their own lives following bullying and harassment resulting from the lack of acceptance of their sexuality or gender identity.

One member of this group was 18 year old Tyler Clementi who took his own life after being publicly ‘outed’ as gay by his roommate, prompting a frenzy as reports poured in of various young people sadly in the same situation.

As the world saw the faces of precious young lives lost, some young people found a new sense of conviction and purpose to ensure that young people everywhere would know that there were people who did support and love them. Wear it Purple was established to show young people across the globe that there was hope, that there were people who did support and accept them, and that they have the right to be proud of who they are.

Since 2010, when Wear it Purple was co-founded by Katherine Hudson and Scott Williams, Wear it Purple has developed into an international movement. New generations of rainbow young people continue to be dedicated to promoting the annual expression of support and acceptance to rainbow young people.

What started out small has now grown; however the message remains the same. Everybody has the right to be proud of who they are.

At Argyle Housing, we firmly committed to creating spaces where every individual feels seen, heard, and valued. 

Recognising the tapestry of identities within our community, including those under the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, is vital to our vision of an equitable society. We pledge to equip our staff with the knowledge and resources necessary to support this vibrant diversity, through ongoing education programs and the implementation of equitable recruitment processes.

Our policies are designed to shield against discrimination and promote fairness, mirrored in our flexible working arrangements and in the culture of open dialogue we nurture among our team members. Celebrating the unique differences within our organization reinforces the sense of community we hold dear. Supporting the LGBTQIA+ community extends beyond our internal practices; we believe in active engagement through community outreach, volunteering, and partnerships that advocate for inclusivity and human rights.

So join us this year, on August 30th to celebrate Wear it Purple Day. Be part of a movement that has the potential to save thousands of lives. Be part of this change.

Your Passion, Your Pride 2024

This year’s theme is “Your Passion, Your Pride”, with artwork by Nicky Tsekouras, winner of Wear It Purple’s Youth Action Council (YAC) Design Competition to create a campaign message and artwork in celebration of LGBTQIA+ people openly and visibly achieving their dreams in sport, art, science and more!

What Can I Do?

• Speak to your School: To see how they plan to celebrate Wear it Purple day and the policies, practices they have in place to create supportive and safe spaces for students and teachers.
• Do your research: Jump onto great sites like ours or some of our community partners to learn more about topics like pronouns, coming out, supportive affirming conversation and gender identity to name just a few.
• Host or attend panels and keynote Events: The power of storytelling and visibility enables rainbow youth to connect to community and empowers allies to be changemakers in their own environments.
• Prioritise key issues through established pride employee network groups: Champion topics like pronouns, gender affirmation and identity, inclusive language and active allyship.
• Continue courageous conversations: Go beyond Wear It Purple Day to create safety in classrooms and workplaces across the country.

Local Events

There are local events you can attend to demonstrate to rainbow young Australians in your local area that they are celebrated and respected, acknowledging all have the right to be proud of who they are and who they are becoming.