On Friday 25 August, we unite to celebrate ‘Wear It Purple Day’, a day that acknowledges sexuality and gender diverse young people – or rainbow youth.
It is a day of kindness, acceptance and inclusivity in our community.
At Endeavour Foundation, we believe that everyone has the right to be proud of who they are and who they are becoming, and we can all play an active role in supporting rainbow youth in our services and communities.
This year’s theme, “Write Your Story”, aims to give voice to the LGBTQIA+ youth community around the importance of personal expression and individuality.
How can you be an ally?
On Friday 25 August, wear purple!
By wearing purple, you demonstrate to rainbow youth that they are seen, supported and respected. You also demonstrate to people we support and employees who identify as LGBTQIA+ that they are valued members of our organisation.
We’d love to see all your best purple outfits! Send us your snaps using this short form.
Take a look at the LGBTQIA+ inclusion module on Engage which covers the importance of building a safe and productive environment for all, regardless of their sexuality, gender or identity.
You might also like to:
- Hang the official Wear it Purple Day poster at your site.
- Download this colouring in poster for people we support.
- Use this Easy Read to explain Wear it Purple Day to people we support.
- Use this tile for your Teams background in your next meeting.
- If you are at Support Centre, drop by the café and purchase some delicious purple cookies.
What exactly is LGBTQIA+?
We acknowledge and respect each unique person’s right to label themselves as they choose. Read on to understand what each letter in the acronym means.
How to use inclusive language – let’s talk about pronouns.
It’s impossible to know what pronouns people use just by looking at them, but using the right pronouns is super important because it affirms the way that person sees themselves.
Some people may ask you to change the pronouns you use when you refer to them. Please note, this list is not inclusive of all pronouns or combinations.
Here’s a closer look.
It’s important to try to use respectful language and some mistakes are understandable, particularly when you are learning. If you do make a mistake, simply apologise and move on. Keep trying to get it right, repeated mistakes shows a lack of respect and is classified as misgendering.
Some tips:
- If someone discloses to you that they’re from one of the LGBTQIA+ communities, respectfully ask what terms they use to describe themselves, then use those terms.
- Don’t question or make assumptions about someone’s gender, sexuality or relationship. Accept and respect how people define their gender and sexuality.
- Use language that acknowledges that we have diverse relationships and families. This can mean using words like “partner” or “parents”, instead of husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, mum, dad etc. particularly when describing groups of people.
- To welcome people in large group meetings in an inclusive manner, you could simply use ‘Welcome everyone” or Good morning, folks” rather than using gender defining language such as ladies and gentleman.
About the artist
Lawson ‘Wukawe’ Dodd (He/Him)
Lawson Dodd is a proud Kaurna/Narungga/Ngarrindjeri man who designed the official artwork for Wear it Purple Day 2023.
“It was so meaningful to be involved with Wear It Purple this year as I have celebrated the day many times in the past.
“I feel it is a visual beacon of hope, love and support for LGBTQIA+ youth everywhere.”
For more information visit the Wear it Purple Day website, and to reach out to [email protected] if you have any questions or feedback.
Resources:
- LGBTQIA+ Engage module
- Wear it Purple Day poster
- Download colouring in poster
- Wear it Purple Day – Easy Read
- Wear it Purple Day – Teams background
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