Every year thousands of schools, community organisations, universities and workplaces hold events across Australia for Wear It Purple Day. As a day of significance for many Australians, it focuses on our LGBTQIA+ youth and the issues they face, whilst showing them they have the right to be proud of who they are and who they are becoming.

Wear it Purple Day is now an international movement of expression, celebration and support. By wearing purple on the last Friday of August, you will demonstrate to hundreds of thousands of rainbow young people across Australia that you see them, you support them, and you respect them.

We encourage you all to celebrate Wear It Purple Day with us on 26 August.

Wear it Purple Day Website

Women’s Health Week is the biggest week in Australia focusing on good health and wellbeing for ALL women and girls, inclusive of trans women. Run by Jean Hailes for Women’s Health, the campaign takes a preventive approach to health by providing resources, tips and information on maintaining good health, inspiring women and girls to learn more and take positive action.

Designed to encourage a national conversation around women’s health, the campaign’s main points of engagement are its daily online health information supported by community and workplace-led events. All health content is free, and subscribers receive daily emails with podcasts, videos, health tips, quizzes, recipes and more.

We're looking forward to spending Women's Health Week 2021 with you (5-11 September), and hope you'll take some time to put your health first.

Women's Health Week Website

THIS YEAR THE MESSAGE IS: Are they really OK? Ask them today. Do you know how the people in your world are really going?

Life's ups and downs happen to all of us. So chances are someone you know might be struggling. Your genuine support can make a difference whatever they are facing, big or small.

So, don’t wait until someone’s visibly distressed or in crisis. Make a moment meaningful and ask them how they’re really going.

Are they really OK? Ask them today. Your conversation could change a life.

R U OK? Website

Bisexual Awareness Week, also known as #BiWeek, is an annual celebration week held in September, from September 16 through the 23rd. It is an extension of Celebrate Bisexuality Day, held annually on September 23. The celebration promotes cultural acceptance of the bisexual community and creates a platform for advocating bisexual rights.

(Image source: https://www.glaad.org/biweek2020)

Mental Health Month is celebrated each year in the month of October. This month encourages all of us to think about our mental health and wellbeing, regardless of whether we may have a lived experience of mental illness or not. It also gives us the opportunity to understand the importance of good mental health in our everyday lives and encourages help seeking behaviours when needed.

Find Out More

International Lesbian Day, held on October 8, is a day for lesbians the world over to come together to celebrate lesbian history, diversity and culture.

Recognised annually, the day gives an opportunity for women, families and friends to connect, celebrate and also raise awareness about the importance of community. Although the exact origin of the day remains uncertain, it almost certainly began in Australia/New Zealand. Some say the day began in 1980 when a Lesbian Day March was held in New Zealand. The first Australian event was held at the Collingwood Town Hall in Melbourne on October 13, 1990.

It featured musicians, market stalls and readings during the afternoon. Following that, the women held a dance with live bands later in the evening. Melbourne lesbians then celebrated the day on or around October 8 for the next several years. In recent years lesbians encourage the community to either get together or show support by donating to charities supporting lesbian women. International Lesbian Day is all-inclusive. It’s a day to be shared by lesbians and also allies of lesbian rights.

10 October 2021 is World Mental Health Day and provides a unique opportunity to shine a light on mental health within our communities. Today we honour those of us impacted by mental health and call on our stakeholders to talk openly and honestly about mental health issues and what needs to be done to address these worldwide.

World Mental Health Day provides an opportunity to acknowledge the unique stress that minorities can face in society as well as the lack of systematic protective factors afforded to those within the LGBTIQ+ community. We also honour the strength of our community and of our organisation to work at a political and community level to address mental health issues.

#WorldMentalHealthDay

URL/website link to external news?:

https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-mental-health-day/2021

Intersex Awareness Day is an internationally observed awareness day designed to highlight human rights issues faced by intersex people.

Intersex Day of Remembrance, also known as Intersex Solidarity Day, is an internationally observed civil awareness day designed to highlight issues faced by intersex people.

The week before Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20, people and organizations around the country participate in Transgender Awareness Week to help raise the visibility of transgender people and address issues members of the community face.

Transgender Awareness Week is a week when transgender people and their allies take action to bring attention to the community by educating the public about who transgender people are, sharing stories and experiences, and advancing advocacy around the issues of prejudice, discrimination, and violence that affect the transgender community.