Similar to Pink Shirt Day, that became a global movement against bullying, International Day of Pink is a movement to raise awareness and try to end bullying against the 2SLGBTQAI+ community.
This movement began in Halifax, Nova Scotia when two high school students saw a student from the2SLGBTQAI+ community get bullied because they wore a pink shirt to school. The two students decided to purchase pink shirts and wear them in solidarity. Soon, nearly the whole school was wearing pink shirts to stand in solidarity against bullying.
This year’s theme is courage — the courage to be yourself, the courage to be kind to others, and the courage to stand in solidarity with the 2SLGBTQAI+ community.
By raising awareness, we can help educate future generations to not repeat history. By asking more from our politicians and policy makers, we can create real change.
International Day of Pink encourages young people to challenge social norms, ask more of their educators, and stand up against bullying towards their 2SLGBTQAI+ peers.
2SLGBTQAI+ youth are overrepresented in the homeless community (25% – 40% of the homeless youth population). Family rejection is the most common cause of 2SLGBTQAI+ youth homelessness. CHV strongly believes that all youth deserve unconditional love and absolute respect and 2SLGBTQAI+ youth are no exception.
To better support youth, Covenant House Vancouver created the Rainbow Advisory Committee that is made up of staff members from each department in the agency. They are dedicated to ensuring that we use best practices to serve our 2SLGBTQAI+ youth and that we continue to enhance our spaces, policies, procedures, and programs.
If you are youth in need of support or have questions, please contact us, toll free, at 1-877-685-7474.
Today, wear pink and help end bullying against the 2SLGBTQAI+ community.