Want more?
Check out all the latest events in the city on What's On.
Published 19 August 2022
In pictures: Wear It Purple Day
Learn why visibility of LGBTIQA+ communities is important and show your support on 26 August
What is Wear it Purple Day about?
The last Friday of August each year is Wear It Purple Day.
The day is all about celebrating and supporting young rainbow people, and challenging societal attitudes to help shape a better world.
This year, Wear It Purple Day falls on 26 August.
Supporters wear purple to celebrate diversity and young people from LGBTIQA+ communities
This year the City of Sydney and the University of Sydney Roller Derby League are teaming up to bring you WIP it: Wear It Purple roller derby workshop on 27 August. It’s a fun and free event for skaters, supporters and spectators
- Credit: Abril Felman
Why is visibility important?
Lia Perkins (she/her) is the training co-ordinator for University of Sydney Roller Derby League. “LGBTIQA+ visibility saves lives. It helps people know there’s spaces for them and they’re not alone. Wear it Purple helps people know they’re worthy,” Lia said.
Jo Dwyer (they/them) has been an executive at the league for 3 years.
“It’s all about queer community joy,” Jo said. “It would have been really exciting for me at 14, 15, when I was just realising I was queer, to see an event like this. Pretty much the only representation I saw back then were queer characters on TV but not big community organisations where everybody is just there and having fun.”
- Credit: Abril Felman
Why is rollerskating so inclusive?
Spend 5 minutes in the rink and you’ll soon realise that roller derby is filled with queer and queer-accepting people.
“Our little motto is fluid and dynamic, and we try to apply that to both skating and also to our approach to everything,” Lia said about the community feel they cultivate at the sport club.
“A lot of the derby league executive are queer and young, and want to support that community, and give the support they didn’t have when they were young,” Jo said.
- Credit: Abril Felman
How can I be involved?
Wear It Purple Day is a great reminder to think about how you perceive other people, and how you can improve on being inclusive and respectful:
- Wear Purple on 26 August
- Learn about issues important to LGBTIQA+ communities
- Attend or organise an event at your school, workplace or organisation.
- Credit: Abril Felman
Join in the fun at WIP It!
On Saturday 27 August come to the Peter Forsyth Auditorium and skate the afternoon away.
No skating experience needed. There’ll be learn to skate workshops and advanced roller derby demos for experienced skaters.
- Credit: Abril Felman
