Wear it Purple Day is coming up soon! This year’s theme is “Start the conversation… Keep it going”.

The easiest way to celebrate Wear it Purple Day is just to wear something purple on Friday, 27 August. This is an outward signal that you support LGBTIQA+ communities, especially young people. But the fun doesn’t have to stop there!

While here in Sydney, we’ll be celebrating Wear it Purple Day at home, there are still ways to celebrate together! Here are some ideas on how to get started at school, at work, and with friends and family

Schools

Have a contest

Best purple outfit? Guess the number of purple jellybeans in the jar? LGBTIQA+ trivia? These can all be done remotely and can add some fun to the school day while raising awareness!

Talk about LGBTIQA+ issues in lessons

Teachers, there are opportunities in every class to talk about LGBTIQA+ issues and communities. In history class, you could look through the Australian Queer Archives’ History Bites. English teachers, check out this list of LGBTIQA+ books for teens. Maths and science classes could talk about famed STEM trailblazers like Alan Turing, Alan Hart, Sally Ride, and any of the amazing people on the 500 Queer Scientists website.

Get your GSA going

Gender and Sexuality Alliances (GSAs) are space where LGBTQIA+ students and their allies can meet, discuss important issues and, most importantly, have a good time! Alongside Wear It Purple and the Teachers Federation, we’ve been developing a GSA Guide for students and schools. Sign up here to be notified when the GSA Guide is live!

Bring in a speaker

If your students and/or faculty want to learn more about LGBTIQA+ identities and communities, having a guest speaker for a class, assembly or workshop (online, of course) can be powerful! Get in touch with our training team if you want to see how Twenty10 can work with your school.

Check out the How To: Wear it Purple guide for more ideas!

How many of these delicious beans are purple? Photo by Sarah Kilian on Unsplash

Workplaces

Change your meeting background

Wear it Purple have created special purple backgrounds (ZIP) you can use in Zoom and Teams!

Hold an event

Whether it’s a panel discussion with LGBTIQA+ leaders, a quick unpacking of the acronym, a drag trivia night, or any other thing you can dream up, an event is a great way to get folks together for a good cause! If you’re looking to find someone to speak at your event, get in touch with our training team.

Fundraise for your favourite LGBTIQA+ charity (or charities)

Who’s making a difference in your community? Raising funds for charities like Wear it Purple, BlaQ Aboriginal Corporation, Forcibly Displaced People’s Network, or of course your pals here at Twenty10 are all great ways to support LGBTIQA+ people and communities! If you need more support for your fundraising event, get in touch.

Wear your purple to work! Photo by Alex Robinson on Unsplash

Friends & Family

Make your profile purple

Add some purple to your social media profiles! Find a purple frame for your Facebook profile pic, post a pic wearing your favourite purple things, or use a tool like Canva to give your cover pic a purple makeover! This will show your friends and followers that you support LGBTIQA+ young people – and help make LGBTIQA+ people in your circles feel seen.

Make a Facebook fundraiser

Did you know you can fundraise on Facebook for your favourite causes? For example, you can create a fundraiser for Twenty10 here! Give your friends the opportunity to support LGBTIQA+ communities.

Educate your friends

Wear it Purple Day is a great opportunity to let your friends and followers know about some of the negative impacts of stigma and discrimination that we see among LGBTIQA+ communities (content note for link: contains statistics about mental health and suicide). However, it’s also a great time to uplift stories about how wonderful LGBTIQA+ people are! You could share your favourite LGBTIQA+-themed media (TV shows, books, musicians, podcasts, etc.) or positive stories from sites like the Star Observer or Archer Magazine.

We hope you have a wonderful and shiny Wear it Purple Day this year, and we can’t wait to see how you all celebrate!

It’s easy to use a frame to make your Facebook profile purple!