Standing Proud: VMHPAA Celebrates Wear It Purple Day in Support of LGBTIQA+ Youth
- Shane Warren
- Aug 29
- 2 min read
MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release
29 August 2025
Today, the Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association of Australia (VMHPAA) joins communities across the nation in proudly celebrating Wear It Purple Day - a day dedicated to affirming and empowering LGBTIQA+ young people.
Born from a movement driven by youth voices, Wear It Purple Day is a reminder that visibility, safety, and belonging save lives. For too many LGBTIQA+ youth, discrimination and rejection remain daily realities with devastating impacts on mental health.
“When a young person is forced to question whether they are safe simply being who they are, it affects their entire sense of self,” said Shane Warren, Chair of VMHPAA, Chair of The Rainbow Precinct, co-Chair of the Oxford Street Pride Charter and author of Navigating LGBTGEQIAP+ Terminology: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals. “That’s why vocationally trained mental health practitioners, those in schools, community centres, and local outreach services, play such a critical role. We are often the first safe space.”
Vocationally trained professionals - counsellors, youth workers, school wellbeing officers, and peer support specialists - are frontline allies in creating inclusive, trauma-informed environments where LGBTIQA+ youth can thrive.
“Wear It Purple is about more than colour, it’s about commitment,” added Susan Sandy, VMHPAA Secretary and long-time relationship counsellor. “We must commit to listening, learning, and leading with empathy because mental health starts with feeling seen, respected, and loved.”
VMHPAA calls on all mental health and education services to:
Ensure LGBTIQA+ cultural competency training for all staff
Prioritise lived experience voices in service design and delivery
Empower youth-driven initiatives that celebrate identity, connection, and pride
Today, we wear purple not just in solidarity, but in promise to keep showing up, speaking up, and building safe spaces for every young person, exactly as they are.
Media Contact:
Shane Warren, Chair
Susan Sandy, Secretary
Philip Armstrong, CEO
VMHPAA
Comments