Wear it Purple Day 2024

Get involved & show your support

VU encourages students and staff to be part of a movement that has the potential to save thousands of lives. 

Find out what's happening across our campuses. 

Share your stories, poems, artworks to mark Wear it Purple

To mark Wear it Purple Day this August, staff and students from the LGBTIQA+ community are invited to contribute creative works to share your stories, poems, artworks and any form of creative expression that resonates with the theme of “Your Passion, Your Pride”. 

Family members and active allies are also welcome to submit messages of support. You can choose to remain anonymous or provide your name and pronouns. 

The works will be collated and shared with the VU community. Please submit works in the form below or contact [email protected]  

Let us know if you require any adjustments to how you submit. 

Submissions are due 18 August. 

Submit

Vic Pride Centre Tour for staff & students – Thursday 22 August

When: Thursday 22 August, 1–2pm

Where: Victorian Pride Centre – meet in main foyer 

Join a member of the Victoria Pride Centre team as they take you on a tour of the Pride Centre, which incorporates spaces that are not normally open to the public. Learn about the building’s design, the resident organisations inside the Pride Centre including Minus 18, Joy Media and TGV to name a few. Find out about the bookable event and work spaces, while also having an opportunity to explore the Pride Gallery. 

79-81 Fitzroy Street 
St Kilda, VIC 3182 

Email [email protected] to register 

Wear It Purple VU Photo @ Footscray Park – Monday 26 August

When: Monday 26th August 9.30–10am 

Where: Footscray Park Building P courtyard in front of Respect mural 

Dress in purple and join staff and students for a special Wear it Purple VU photo. Visibly show solidarity to the rainbow community. 

Pride Parents & Carers group – Monday 26 August

When: Monday 26th August 10–11am 

Where: VU Bar Footscray Park, Building M, Level 0 

You're invited to join a safe, informal community of parents, carers and family members of the LGBTIQA+ community, who meet monthly to share experiences and make supportive connections. 

Contact [email protected] for more information. 

Wear it Purple Footscray Park – Tuesday 27 August

When: Tuesday 27 August, 11am–1pm 
Where: Building P Courtyard, Footscray Park 

Celebrate Wear It Purple at Footscray Park campus with: 

• fairy bread station provided by VU Queer Collective  
• Pride network pop up  
• make your very own tie-dye socks  
• grab a fairy floss  
• photo booth with VU Diamond
• come try pickleball (pickleball combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis, using a paddle and plastic ball with holes)
• come try table tennis   
• visit our pronoun wall in Building M, ground level. 

No registration required.

Wear It Purple Zoom Background

Change your Zoom background to show your support for Wear it Purple!  

Images open in a new tab at the right size to use as a background. Then you can right click the image to save it to your computer.  

Download the VU Wear it Purple Zoom background by clicking on the image:  

Join the VU Queer Collective

Are you an LGBTQIA+ student who is looking to connect with peers and make the most out of university life? The Queer Collective is here to help! We run regular catch-ups, craft afternoons and events throughout the year to provide support, connection and a safe space for out LGBTQIA+ students. 

If you are a current VU student who is interested in belonging to a community of like-minded people or being on the executive committee, sign up today! 

Join VU Queer Collective 

Pride Network

The Pride Network is composed of staff who identify as part of, or are allies for, LGBTIQA+ and gender diverse community. Pride network members meet regularly to organise events and opportunities that increase the visibility of the community. 

Executive Director, Institute for Health & Sport Professor Alex Parker is the Executive Sponsor of the Pride Network and is a strong advocate for LGBTIQA+ inclusion at VU.

For further information about the Pride network, staff can email:  [email protected]   

Pride Rooms & all-gender facilities

Pride rooms and community spaces are located across VU campuses: 

• City Campus, VU City Tower, level 7, room CT707 
• Footscray Nicholson Campus, building T, room 130, available 8.30am–9pm 
• Footscray Park Campus, building M, room 122 
• St Albans Campus, building 4N, room 115. 

A number of all-gender facilities are available to staff and students across VU campuses. All staff, students and visitors have the right to use toilets and other facilities appropriate to them. 

• All gender facilities (PDF, 146.05 KB)

Gender affirmation at VU

We support trans and gender diverse staff, students and their peers, to ensure full participation in the work and study environment, enabling access to appropriate assistance. 

Gender affirmation is a personal process where a trans or gender-diverse person implements steps to live as their defined or affirmed gender identity, rather than the gender assigned to them at birth. 

Transition may involve social, medical/surgical and/or legal steps that affirm a person’s gender. 

Social affirmation, which can involve a number of changes to the way you identify outwardly. This may include changing names and pronouns, trying new clothing and hairstyles, using your voice differently, and tucking and binding body parts to name a few. Social affirmation may involve trying new or different clothing. All staff are supported to dress in a way which best reflects their gender identity, including transgender, gender diverse and non-binary staff. In the workplace, professional dress standards apply to staff, regardless of gender. 

Medical affirmation, which involves medical interventions such as hormones or surgery. 

Legal affirmation, which can involve changing your legal gender marker and name in official documents and records to live as your defined gender(s). 

For further information or support on gender affirmation, contact:  [email protected] . 

Donate to Wear It Purple

Wear it Purple Day is a national event in Australia dedicated to celebrating and supporting LGBTQIA+ youth. It aims to promote safe, inclusive, and empowering environments through a variety of activities and events that encourage participation and raise awareness about the challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ individuals.

Donate to Wear It Purple 

Online LGBTQIA+ awareness training

This rich, educational resource has been co-designed by LGBTQIA+ staff and students from VU. 

VU students can access the training via the Learning Hub section of VU Collaborate: LGBTQIA+ Awareness Training

VU staff can access our training via VU Develop Understanding & celebrating LGBTQIA+ identities: A guide for staff