What is The International Day of Pink?
The International Day of Pink is an international anti-bullying event held annually during the second week of April. The event started when students David Shepherd and Travis Price saw another student, who was wearing a pink shirt, being bullied in their Central Kings Rural High School in Nova Scotia, Canada, and deciding to show support for the student by getting everyone at their school to wear pink the following day.
The initiative inspired youth at Jer’s Vision who founded The International Day of Pink, an effort to support their peers internationally with resources and ways to make their schools safer.
In 2012 more than 8 million people participated.
This year the International Day of Pink is celebrated on April 13, 2021.
Discrimination takes many shapes, whether it’s based on race, age, disabilities, gender or sexuality, according to dayofpink.org. The 2SLGBTQIA+ community is no stranger to the bullying and violence that stems from hateful beliefs. While progress has been made towards removing these social barriers from our society, discrimination still persists. So, every year, on the second Wednesday of April, we urge people around the world to put on a pink shirt and stand in solidarity with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community to continue fighting for equality and acceptance.
Whether it’s in Canada or beyond, we need to stand up against hateful beliefs to keep the clock from turning backwards on our efforts towards establishing equality for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. It’s time now to educate the future generation to not repeat history, demand more of our politicians and policy makers, and participate in creating real change through real effort.
International Day of Pink has one purpose, to create a more inclusive and diverse world. We do this by encouraging young people to challenge social norms, ask more of their educators, and stand up against bullying towards their 2SLGBTQIA+ peers.
Image Sources
- Poppy: Pixabay