Wear It Purple Day is about more than a T-shirt. Here’s how schools can really include gender and sexuality diverse youth
As many kids and teachers go to school today in purple clothes, we know too many young people still feel isolated and unsupported.
Wear It Purple Day, celebrated annually on February 28th, aims to recognize and celebrate gender and sexuality diverse (GSD) young people in schools and universities. The initiative, which began in 2010, seeks to combat discrimination and bullying faced by GSD youth. While many students and teachers wear purple clothing on this day, the question arises as to how well Australian schools truly incorporate GSD students and educate all students about gender and sexual diversity.
Recent research indicates that the number of young people identifying as GSD in Australia has been steadily increasing, with about 9.5% of 16 to 24-year-olds, 7.5% of 25 to 34-year-olds, and 3.9% of 35 to 44-year-olds identifying as such. Despite this growing demographic, schools have a crucial role to play in supporting GSD youth.
Discrimination can lead to feelings of shame, isolation, and loneliness, which can negatively impact mental health and increase rates of self-harm and suicide. Inclusive school environments, however, can significantly enhance GSD students' sense of belonging.
A 2021 national study found that homophobic language is prevalent in high schools, and school staff often fail to respond proactively to discrimination. School education on gender diversity and sexuality is essential for promoting inclusion, confronting discriminatory attitudes, and normalizing GSD identities. However, surveys suggest that this education is not reliably happening in Australian schools.
Only 23% of surveyed high school students reported learning about gender or sexuality diversity in their relationships and sexual health education, and less than 10% reported learning about it in health and physical education classes.
Currently, Australia lacks a standardized approach to GSD inclusion in schools, leading to varying practices across states, school sectors, and individual institutions. The national Respectful Relationships Education Framework encourages teaching about harmful gender roles and stereotypes, but it has been criticized for not adequately addressing diverse sexualities.
Right-wing politicians and Christian lobby groups have often opposed such inclusion, preventing programs like Safe Schools from being widely adopted. Despite this, research indicates that the majority of parents support gender and sexuality diversity-inclusive education in schools.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
