Purple goes online

Anti-homophobia campaign Wear it Purple has launched a website designed to provide a voice for queer youth, their families and friends.

The site provides resources and links to support and advocacy organisations and allows visitors to contribute to the site through blog posts and photos.

Wear it Purple campaign coordinator Scott Williams said the launch of the website was an important step in allowing the voices of queer youth to speak for their rights.

“We are receiving more and more hits every day,” Williams told the Star Observer.

“As more content is being shared by people everywhere, young people are being empowered to fight back. The current situation is no longer acceptable.”

However, controversy has already arisen following the launch of the site. The NSW Department of Education and Training filters have blocked it from being viewed on Government school computers, frustrating campaign co-ordinators.

The Wear it Purple campaign was initiated by Williams’ fellow campaign co-ordinator Katherine Hudson, a student from Sydney’s inner-West, following a number of suicides of gay youth in the US as a result of homophobic bullying.

The campaign organised the successful Wear it Purple Day in October, asking people to wear a purple armband to help raise awareness about high levels of depression, anxienty and youth suicide amongst sex, sexuality and gender-diverse people.

Wear it Purple also spoke out last month in support of Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar student Hannah Williams, who was banned from taking her same-sex partner to the school formal.

info: Find out more at www.wearitpurple.org