Wear It Purple Day is an annual event held on the last Friday of August in Australia, organized by the student-run, not-for-profit organization Wear It Purple. It began as a response to worldwide incidents of young LGBTQIA+ people who ended their own lives due to homophobic bullying and harassment. The events' aims include celebrating and empowering "rainbow young people".[1]
Prelude[]
Founded by Katherine Hudson and Scott Williams, Wear It Purple Day began as a response to the suicide of Tyler Clementi, a teenager in New Jersey who took his own life after being outed at school.[4] He was the fourth teenager from the United States who had done so that week.[2] Hudson was a high school student at the time,[5] while Williams was a first-year university student.[5]
Event[]
Wear It Purple Day is celebrated by wearing the color purple;[3] this color was chosen as Katherine Hudson "saw purple as a way of bringing people together from all different backgrounds and creating one thing [...] a symbol of unity".[6] During the first Wear It Purple Day, participants were encouraged to wear purple armbands; however, the act of wearing any purple, not just armbands, is encouraged, particularly bright colors.[7] In addition, other activities with a central 'purple' theme, such as bake sales and meetings, contribute to celebrating the day.[8] In recent years, the hashtag #WearItPurpleDay has become increasingly popular.[7][8]
Resources[]
- Wear It Purple official website
- "Wear It Purple® Day Digital Resources" on Minus18. (Archived on 2024-03-17)
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Our Story - WEAR IT PURPLE" on Wear It Purple. Published 2021. (Archived on 2024-04-20)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Wear It Purple Day" by Katherine Hudson in Queer Honi Soit. Published 2010-10-06 by Students' Representative Council, University of Sydney.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "How to Celebrate - WEAR IT PURPLE" on Wear It Purple. (Archived on 2024-04-20)
- ↑ "Wear It Purple: Empowering Rainbow Youth" (original link down) by Cec Busby on Gay News Network. Published 2013-08-25. (Archived on 2014-08-11)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Here's Why Everyone Is Wearing Purple Today" on Idernational Women's Development Agency. Published 2017-08-24. (Archived on 2023-09-27)
- ↑ "ANZ Street Art Project - Art Almanac" on Art Almanac. Published 2016-06-09. (Archived on 2023-08-15)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Wear It Purple Day" on Reach Out Australia. Published 2022. (Archived on 2023-10-01)
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "What is Wear It Purple Day?" (original link down) on Minus18. Published 2021-03-31. (Archived on 2023-03-23)
