Wear it Purple Day on Friday 27 August supports the rights of young people in the LGBTI+ community. It promotes the creation of safe spaces in schools, universities, workplaces, and public spaces to show LGBTI+ young people that they are seen and supported. Wear It Purple is a volunteer organisation that helps young people in the LGBTI+ community, focusing on the prevention of bullying and reducing the incidence of suicide in this vulnerable group.
The Monash Health Equity and Inclusion LGBTI+ Subcommittee is proud to support Wear It Purple Day. The Subcommittee invites all Monash Health employees to join them in wearing something purple on Friday 27 August to help show your support to our young LGBTI+ employees, patients and visitors.
Denise Owen, Chair of the LGBTI+ Subcommittee, highlighted the importance of days like Wear It Purple Day:
“It’s essential that all young people feel supported, valued, and accepted when they come to Monash Health as patients, visitors or employees. By wearing something purple on 27 August, we send a strong message of support to young people that allows them to feel validated, accepted and empowered.”
This year, the LGBTI+ Subcommittee hosted events to improve our employees’ understanding of the lived experiences and terminologies within the LGBTI+ community.
We encourage you to watch the IDAHOBIT Celebration Event, which features wonderful presentations from members of the LGBTI+ community and serves as a reminder of the importance of treating our patients with compassion, respect, and integrity.
For more information on pronouns and gender terms watch this Manager Briefing presentation.
The Subcommittee is currently working on a number of initiatives to make Monash Health a safe environment for the LGBTI+ community, including:
- Expanding the availability of All gender toilets at all hospital sites.
- Employee name badges that include pronouns.
Watch this space for updates and details on these initiatives.
Don’t forget you can include your pronouns in your email signature to show your support to the LGBTI+ community. You can find a guide to using pronouns here.
You can download a poster for your break room here and encourage your team members to wear something purple on Friday 27 August!
Approved by Carlos Scheinkestel.