The Queensland Police Service (QPS) have launched specially designed patches to again demonstrate its support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) youth throughout Queensland through its involvement in this year’s Wear it Purple Day.
Wear it Purple Day was established to demonstrate to young people that there is hope, that there are people who support and accept them, and that they have the right to be proud of who they are.
To demonstrate our support, officers may wear their boots with purple laces and wear the newly developed LGBTI Load Bearing Vest (LBV) patch on Wear It Purple Day.
Commissioner Ian Stewart said this was a great way for rainbow youth everywhere to know that their support base included police.
“’Wear it Purple’ is a simple message: you have the right to be proud of who you are and sexuality or gender identity does not change this – ‘Wear it Purple’ if you agree – and we do,” Commissioner Stewart said.
“We know that this small display of support can have a significant impact on LGBTI young people.
“This symbolism of the purple shoelaces is simply to encourage people – including our police – to think about walking in someone else’s shoes for the day.
“This is an important message and one I am proud to support as Commissioner.”
National LGBTI Health Alliance and Beyond Blue studies show that LGBTI people are more likely to attempt suicide than the general population with the average age of first attempt being 16 years, specifically:
- LGBT young people aged 16 to 27 are five times more likely
- Transgender people aged 18 and over are nearly eleven times more likely
- People with an Intersex variation aged 16 and over are nearly six times more likely
