Phi Theodoros, Resident Artist - Living Arts, Child, Youth & Families, shares her reflections on the importance of Wear It Purple Day for LGBTQIA+ young people.
Image: Queen Estelle (R) and Phi (L) at Walyu Tutu, Life Without Barriers office in Unley.
At Life Without Barriers, we are proud to support and celebrate each and every person who identifies as part of the LGBTQIA+ community.
We recognise Wear It Purple Day each year, encouraging our staff to wear purple to empower rainbow young people to be proud of who they are and who they might become. We also encourage them to be exactly who they are, every single day.
A proud supporter of Wear It Purple, Phi Theodoros, Resident Artist - Living Arts, Child, Youth & Families, shares her reflections on the impact of Wear It Purple Day for LGBTQIA+ young people.
“Wear it Purple Day is a really important part of the LGBTQIA+ calendar. It is a way for people to stand up and show their support and allyship for queer youth, regardless of how they personally identify."
“A sense of community support and gentle visibility is incredibly powerful, especially for those who might be unsure or feeling vulnerable about their own queer identities.”
“Aside from being my favourite colour, I wore purple for all the young queer people who are still finding their way. I wore purple for all the queers that were unable to live past their youth and have been subjected to bullying, discrimination, persecution and more.
“I wore purple for the people who are unable to stand by my side, either because even in 2022 they are unable to stand proud in their identities as queer folk for their own safety OR for those who are no longer with us today."
“I am so passionate about the visibility of our queer community because every rainbow that I can wear and see - helps others feel seen, supported and welcome.”
"One of my favourite Wear It Purple Day memories has been supporting a friend (of transgender experience) at Service SA to navigate changing her address and registration after moving to SA.
"We were greeted by a lovely older man in a loud and bright purple Hawaiian shirt. It was only after we left that we realised why he was wearing purple, and we were both so appreciative of his efforts to show his support and allyship for the community."
On Wear It Purple Day, Phi spoke as part of a panel at the University of Adelaide, coordinated by Feast Festival.
"I was really honoured to be part of this intergenerational panel on behalf of the Feast Festival alongside staff from ECH's LGBTQIA+ Aged Care program as well as an inspiring young advocate.
"We reflected on our personal journeys, our hopes and vision for the future, and how we can all advocate for better outcomes for our LGBTQIA+ young people and the wider community.
"Our discussions reflected on how there has been a lot of positive change and much better representation of queer folk in media, as well as the challenges that are still being faced by LGBTQIA+ young people today.
“The audience asked incredibly thought-provoking questions, which all indirectly lead back to the importance of safe and supportive communities.
"For me, this is the vision behind Wear it Purple Day - to gently create ways for people to open conversations and build strong and supportive communities."
The photo above is at the Inkgarni Wardli at Adelaide University with students and Feast Staff joining Phi and The Panel. The Panel included Bill Gaston and Robyn Lierton from ECH's LGBTIQ program, Evan Johnson (the young advocate), and Will Sergeant who was the MC.
Thank you, Phi - for sharing your story and time with us!
At Life Without Barriers, we celebrate diversity, and we practice inclusion. We are proud to welcome all those of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics to join our organisation and support all LGBTQIA+ employees to bring their whole selves to work.
