Wear it Purple Day
Schools and workplaces can paint the town purple to celebrate diversity on Wear It Purple Day, 25 August.
Last year, schools recognised the occasion in some creative ways, including rainbow fun runs, guest speakers, purple/rainbow mufti days and mural painting.
Schools could link the key ideas of Wear It Purple Day to broader lessons on diversity and difference, to foster safe and supportive environments. The event embraces and celebrates sexuality, sex and gender diversity.
The youth-led organisation believes that respect and acceptance is vital to developing a harmonious, equitable, accepting and supportive society.
Operations manager Naomi Graham said: “By celebrating diversity, we are able to gain a new perspective on the lives of others around us, foster respect, unite, educate ourselves, appreciate others, have a sense of pride for the diversity in our environment, challenge our thoughts or beliefs, and most importantly, contribute to the creation of safe and supportive environments for all people, irrespective of how they identify.”
The three key ideas that underpin Wear it Purple Day in 2017 are:
- Understanding difference leads to respect and acceptance.
- Respect and acceptance help to build a harmonious and supportive world, where every person can be proud of who they are.
- Projects or events run by young people in schools, by employees in workplaces, or individuals in their environments are an effective way to encourage and support mutual respect between people from different backgrounds or with different understandings, to create safer and more supportive environments for rainbow young people.
Wear It Purple Day events can be registered with the organisation at wearitpurple.org/register-your-event, at which time resources can be ordered to support your event.