Wear It Purple 

On the 27th of August, Heathmont College will be celebrating ‘Wear it Purple Day’. This day is dedicated to bringing awareness to the LGBTQI+ community in Australia. Inclusion in the community is important in the world we are living in. It is our duty as a school community to celebrate and raise awareness regarding gender, sex, romantic or sexual orientation and challenge harmful cultures in which this may be discriminated. Everyone should be proud of themselves no matter who they are or who they love. 

As a member of the student body and the Australian Queer community, I am very lucky to be in an accepting household where I am able to be myself. However, many students may be in a very different situation. So, we must ensure we all work together to create a safe space for our school community. 

Therefore, ‘Wear it Purple Day in 2021 is centered around ‘starting the conversation’. This means discussing gender, sex, romantic or sexual orientation in our daily lives. Not just today but all 365 days of the year. This will empower young people to be proud of who they are and encourage them in the classroom. The importance of pronouns, gender affirmation and inclusive language is a great way to start. This allows for the LGTBQI+ community to have an amplified voice that can show younger Australians that there is so much hope and many possibilities awaiting them for just being who they are. 

Some small things you as an individual should do is ask someone what pronouns they would like to go by and refer to them with those. Misgendering a person is never okay under any circumstances. If you accidentally misgender an individual, the best thing to do is breathe, apologise, express gratitude, and then think to yourself, ‘How will I do better?’. Never make misgendering someone about yourself, don’t draw attention to the mistake or deflect. Another small thing you should do is introduce yourself with pronouns whenever you meet new people. This will then encourage others to introduce themselves with their pronouns without any anxiety. 

Moreover, be a role model for kindness and inclusion. If you hear any anti LGBTQI+ comments, call people out on it. Do not tolerate any homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia. If you are a straight or cisgender person, you are in a far better position with lesser consequences and may make someone feel safer and more comfortable. And don’t forget to Educate yourself. If you don’t understand any terms, take initiative, and ask or even google it. Go be the best ally you can be for the community! 

Check out this great resource from the Wear It Purple website: Misgendering + Pronouns: A guide to using inclusive language when speaking languages other than English.