Fuchsia, mauve or aubergine? Perhaps you prefer orchid or violet? Whichever it is, be sure to don your favourite shade of purple this Friday for national ‘Wear It Purple Day’.

The campaign was started in 2010 by two Australian teens that were becoming increasingly concerned at the number of gender diverse youth who were struggling with their identity and in some cases, committing suicide.

Rather than being overwhelmed by negative emotions and with a conviction to change the statistics the pair searched for a way to give gender diverse young people hope.

Wear it Purple Day raises awareness of challenges facing gender diverse youth, and encourages people within workplaces, education institutions and local communities to wear purple to show their support of diverse genders.

Executive Officer of Wear It Purple in Australia Jayde Ellis said it was important that everyone recognises that they have the right to be proud of who they are.

“Young people can feel ostracised in their life and with their identity, but the more support and voices that we have, the more young people realise that they have the support out there and that they are not alone,” Miss Ellis said.

“They have the support to be who they are and not feel that they have to be moulded by society’s expectations,” she said.

Organisers encourage participants to take a “selfie” wearing purple on Friday and posting it to their social media platform with the tag “wear it purple.”

The event has become an international sensation and functions are held around the world including Canada, Hong Kong and the United States.

Log on to the Wear It Purple site to find out more.

Joe Cassidy

Stock Image: YayMicro-Tom Wang