On Wear It Purple® Day, it's important to back up your purple activity with conversation, and meaningful actions. It can be hard to know how to get started though! Here's your guide to creating meaningful conversation at work, school and beyond on Wear It Purple® Day.

You’ve downloaded your toolkit, you've got your Pride Pack, you have your purple outfit ready to go, and you’re preparing for an in-person Wear it Purple activity, digital event, or a little both.

And of course, you're also ready to have a good time – Wear It Purple® Day falls on a Friday, after all! Still, it's important not to forget the reason we Wear It Purple®: supporting and standing with LGBTQIA+ youth, and taking a stand against bullying and discrimination. ESPECIALLY in 2023, when the LGBTQIA+ community has endured so many stories in the news and media about discrimination.

If you're not confident in leading (or starting!) conversations about LGBTQIA+ inclusion and allyship, that's okay. That's what Minus18 is for! We're ready to lend a hand with these topics and tips.

Supporting LGBTQIA+ youth

At its core, Wear It Purple® Day is about supporting LGBTQIA+ youth. In 2010, a number of tragic, avoidable cases of bullying and harassment resulted in a number of LGBTQIA+ youth taking their own lives. These tragedies resulted in public outcry, and outpouring of support for queer young people.

Wear It Purple® Day was started to make sure all rainbow young people know that they are loved, accepted and that there is a place for them to feel safe, included and empowered.

If you work with young people – teachers, school staff, youth workers, education professionals, those who work in the community – Wear It Purple® Day is the perfect time to chat about supporting LGBTQIA+ youth. It's also the perfect time to engage in training, and share knowledge.

In fact, we're hosting professional training!

It was really a no-brainer for the Minus18 Education Team! We're celebrating Wear it Purple Day by hosting a very special edition of our renowned professional training – all about supporting LGBTQIA+ youth. This is our proper training, with a specific lens for anyone who'd like to know more about supporting young people. Teachers, education professionals, service providers, youth workers, coaches – this is for you.

Prepare your questions, grab your tickets, and we'll see you online on Wednesday 23 August!

Reserve your spot

Conversation starters

• How can we visibly show our support and allyship to LGBTQIA+ young people?
• Why is this sort of (visible) allyship so important, and so impactful?

How to support someone (and react!) when they come out

Whether you're young or old, no matter the setting, do you know how you'd react if someone were to come out to you?

At Minus18 HQ, this is one of our most frequently asked questions. Which is exactly why we've released an educational pamphlet filled with tips on how to support someone (and what to say) whens someone comes out to you. You'll find them in our online store.

And while Wear It Purple® Day is all about supporting young people, these tips are absolutely relevant to anyone, no matter your age. Because there's no age limit to levelling up your allyship, and no age limit for coming out.

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What to watch:

We created some great videos all for parents of LGBTQIA+ youth, in which they discuss their experiences – and share their tips for – supporting LGBTQIA+ young people. Coming out, educating themselves and their families, along with celebrating and supporting the queer young person in their lives.

And of course, like the tips in our education cards, their experiences and advice apply to anyone, of any age.

Conversation starters:

• What part of the video/article stood out most?
• How can we all stay up to date with LGBTQIA+ inclusion? Does anyone have any good recommendations of articles/websites?

Supporting LGBTQIA+ colleagues and clients at work

The team’s gone purple, you’ve got your purple Zoom background ready! Now what? We know firsthand that often in workplaces, the level of knowledge regarding LGBTQIA+ identities and inclusion can vary.

Our first tip – book Minus18 to do the heavy lifting for you! Our Education Team is available to deliver professional training and inspiring keybotes to any location, digitally. Keynotes are live-streamed, fun, and inspiring – and they ensure your cohort or team comes away with real, actionable and tangible knowledge.

Make an enquiry

Otherwise, Minus18 articles are incredible popular, and informative. They're written with young people in mind, so they're easy to follow, and entertaining. One of our most popular is What are pronouns and why are they so important?, which also includes a video.

Conversation starters:

• How can we stay up to date on LGBTQIA+ knowledge as a team?
• If someone tells a joke that’s a little off, how can we gently let them know it's not okay?
• Are there ways we can make the office more rainbow and welcoming?

Standing with your LGBTQIA+ mates at school

Wear It Purple® Day is all about supporting LGBTQIA+ youth, and letting all young people know they have the right to be proud of who they are.

We've created HEAPS of articles filled with tips, information, and guides written with young people in mind. Some of our favourites:

• How to challenge crappy language when you hear it
• Can your identity change over time?
• Your guide to words and definitions in the LGBTQIA+ community

Conversation starters:

• Why is it important to let everyone know they're able to be proud of who they are?
• What are some practical ways we can create a positive environment?
• How might our school celebrate Wear it Purple next year, even bigger and better?

Most of all though? Have a great time!

Wear It Purple® is about celebrating LGBTQIA+ young people and coming together as a community! So have an amazing time day. Days like this are great not only for standing up against discrimination, but also to connect as pals, classmates, co-workers and family.

More about Wear it Purple Day

Used under license from Wear It Purple Incorporated - wearitpurple.org.au