Wear it Purple Day is about more than a t‑shirt

Today is Wear it Purple Day—when students and staff at high schools and universities are invited to wear purple clothing to recognize and celebrate gender- and sexuality-diverse (GSD) young people. Workplaces are also encouraged to take part.

The initiative began in 2010 to better support GSD youth in the face of widespread discrimination and bullying.

Many kids and teachers go to school today wearing purple T-shirts and headbands. But how well do Australian schools actually include GSD students? And how well does the school system educate all students about gender and sexual diversity?

A growing demographic

The number of young people self-identifying as GSD has been growing steadily in Australia.

About 9.5% of 16–24-year-olds identify as gender or sexuality diverse. This compares with 7.5% of 25–34-year-olds and 3.9% of 35–44-year-olds.

Other research suggests proportions of GSD people might be closer to 20% in the 18–24 age group.

Schools have a role to play

Research tells us that discrimination can lead to GSD young people feeling shame, isolation and loneliness. This can significantly affect their mental health and increase rates of self-harm and suicide.

Schools can either be part of the problem or help young people. For example, school cultures that assume being straight and cisgender are the “default” sexuality and gender identities can make environments hostile for GSD students. High schools that offer inclusive environments, however, can increase GSD students’ sense of belonging at school.

However, a 2021 national study found that GSD young people overwhelmingly reported homophobic language was common at high school and that school staff did not proactively respond to discrimination.

Research suggests school education about gender diversity and sexuality is necessary to promote inclusion. It does this by confronting discriminatory attitudes and normalizing GSD identities.

What schools teach (and don’t teach)

But surveys suggest this is not reliably happening in Australian schools.

A 2026 La Trobe University survey asked more than 4,000 high school students across Australia, ages 14 to 18, about their experiences with sex education, sexual health and school-based relationships. It found just 23% reported learning about gender or sexuality diversity in their relationships and sexual health education at school.

In 2021, one author of this article, Jacqueline Ullman, surveyed nearly 2,400 GSD high school students across the country.

The results similarly showed fewer than 10% reported learning about gender and/or sexuality diversity within their health and physical education classes.

No standardized approach

Currently, Australia doesn’t have a standardized approach to the inclusion of GSD people, issues or topics in school policies or curriculum. This has led to differing approaches across states, school sectors and individual schools.

There is a national Respectful Relationships Education Framework, which encourages schools to teach about harmful rigid gender roles and gender stereotypes. However, even this framework has received criticism for not doing enough to include diverse sexualities.

There has typically been backlash from right-wing politicians and Christian lobby groups during national discussions about the inclusion of gender and sexuality diversity in high schools. This has previously prevented programs, such as Safe Schools, from being widely introduced in schools.

Parental support is there

Research suggests that most parents do want to see this kind of education included in their children’s school learning.

Nationally representative research from 2021, in the years following the 2016 and 2017 Safe Schools debate, showed more than 80% supported gender and sexuality diversity-inclusive relationships and sexual health education across public primary and high schools.

In 2023, a survey of more than 2,400 Australian parents from religious and nonreligious schools showed most had positive attitudes toward gender and sexuality diversity-inclusive education. Their support ranged from 62%–94%, depending on the school sector.

What would help students feel more included?

Research shows a whole-school approach is needed to support GSD young people in high schools.

This might involve schools teaching about GSD identities and issues, regular professional development for staff, and school policies that ensure gender and sexuality diversity are recognized and celebrated.

Students are also more likely to feel accepted when schools:

• have systems in place to guide students toward support services for GSD individuals
• outwardly show support for GSD causes
• establish gender and sexuality alliances, such as pride groups

When a whole-school approach has these mechanisms in place, young people are more likely to feel comfortable talking with a trusted adult at school, sharing their identity with peers, and feeling less distress and more hope for their present and future.

Who’s behind this story?

Swati Mestri

Swati Mestri holds a bachelor’s degree in Electronics Engineering and has worked as a content editor since 2019. She has experience editing research documents across technology, health care, and materials science, and has a particular interest in technology and space.

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Andrew Zinin

Master’s in physics with research experience. Long-time science news enthusiast. Plays key role in Science X’s editorial success.

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This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.