This year we collaborated with different youth and LGBTQIA+ services across Greater Bendigo to help deliver the Youth Wear It Purple Day party and fashion parade. An event that celebrated Wear It Purple Day—a day dedicated to supporting and celebrating young people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) by promoting safe and inclusive environments, and delivering events, activities, programs, and spaces that encourage young people to express themselves freely and feel supported and included by their community.
This year’s theme was “Bold Voices, Bright Futures,” developed by a young person to highlight the importance of standing together and celebrating LGBTQIA+ young people openly and visibly achieving their dreams in sport, art, science, and more. In line with this theme, YO Bendigo contributed to a fashion parade and purple chill-out at the Bendigo Library, alongside LGBTQIA+ community support services including headspace Bendigo, Thorne Harbour Country, CERSH, and Bendigo Community Health Services.
The event was a wholesome evening, with over 40+ people in attendance, where young people connected, made new friends, and cheered each other on as they strutted their stunning purple outfits along our makeshift runway. Hosted by the fabulous and hilarious Polly Filla, the night was filled with dancing, delicious pizza, badge-making, face painting, and the YO Bendigo glam bar. After every dance-off, young people relaxed together on the YO bean bags, sharing laughs and building friendships.
Led by Thorne Harbour Country and designed through feedback and input from young people across the community, this event created opportunities for youth to engage in spaces they might not usually visit. Like the Fruit Punch Pool Party earlier in the year, the Wear It Purple party encouraged young people to feel a sense of belonging and safety in public spaces, while also discovering local services and community groups that are here to support them.
One of the most inspiring highlights was during the runway walks, where young people stepped outside their comfort zones to strut, pose, and dance—expressing themselves without fear of judgment. For those who felt too shy to go up alone, supportive friends rallied together, walking side by side and turning nervousness into confidence. Watching young people lift each other up, going from anxious to smiling and laughing with new friends, showed the true power of peer support and community.
This event demonstrated YO Bendigo and the City of Greater Bendigo’s commitment to creating spaces where young people feel safe, supported, and empowered to lead. It’s about amplifying their voices, celebrating their ideas, and building a future where every young person knows they belong
