Youth pledge suicide support
School students across Australia will wear purple ribbons, badges and articles of clothing to show support for same-sex attracted and gender questioning young people at risk of suicide on Friday, September 2.
Friday marks the second Wear It Purple day, a student-led initiative that started last year following a spate of suspected gay bullying-related youth suicides in the US.
Wear It Purple founder Katherine Hudson told the Star Observer the campaign鈥檚 focus is to target schools.
鈥淚t鈥檚 turned from being a movement that鈥檚 been driven by negative emotions, like sorrow … into being a positive movement, sending a message of support right to the heart of schools across the world,鈥� Hudson said.
鈥淭his year we鈥檝e made [Wear It Purple day] however you want to express it. It鈥檚 really important it鈥檚 about accepting people for who they are and that means showing that any way you like.
鈥淓ach school is [marking the day] differently. Some schools are doing it as a fundraising event. Some schools are doing it as an underground event because their principal wouldn鈥檛 approve it, so kids are just wearing a purple ribbon in their hair and trying to be a bit cautious about it.鈥�
Hudson said 20 schools nationwide will take part in the day while dozens more students, including some from New Zealand, the US and the UK, will participate as individuals at other schools.
鈥淲e鈥檙e really trying to encourage community spirit around this so people recognise people who support them and care for them in their local area, even if their parents and family don鈥檛,鈥� she said.
Australian research shows same-sex attracted young people are up to three times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers, and rural same-sex attracted young people are up to six times more likely to attempt suicide than the population as a whole.
Leading the Wear It Purple campaign at Sydney鈥檚 St George Girls High School, Year 9 student Brenna Harding said students will sell 300 badges and purple ribbons to spread the acceptance message.
鈥淚 hope every person in my school will wear a purple ribbon on Friday,鈥� Harding told the Star Observer. 鈥淲e have lots of posters up and teachers are on board.鈥�
Harding said she felt her school was a welcoming environment for students who didn鈥檛 identify as straight, but said the statistics of self-harm among LGBTI youth are alarming.
鈥淚 think we need to create this environment where [young people] feel they鈥檙e supported and know there鈥檙e people who love them,鈥� she said.
INFO:
