Purple people
Facebook is a social media used by almost everyone. On Oct. 20, the staff at the Human Rights Campaign asked for photos of people “rocking purple…to remember the lives lost to bullying and suicide” and USU-CEU students rocked it.
Wear Purple to Remember Day is an entire day dedicated to remembering those whom resorted to suicide because they felt they couldn’t be who they were. This day is largely dedicated to those young lives lost in the gay community or bullied for their sexual orientation.
This archived article was written by: Tadd Mecham
Facebook is a social media used by almost everyone. On Oct. 20, the staff at the Human Rights Campaign asked for photos of people “rocking purple…to remember the lives lost to bullying and suicide” and USU-CEU students rocked it.
Wear Purple to Remember Day is an entire day dedicated to remembering those whom resorted to suicide because they felt they couldn’t be who they were. This day is largely dedicated to those young lives lost in the gay community or bullied for their sexual orientation.
On Wear Purple . . . Day, many students at USU-CEU took it upon themselves to participate and show their support by wearing this color. After gathering a group of these students, a photo was taken and submitted to HRC’s Facebook page.
Upon receiving the photo, HRC reposted it to their wall with the following caption: “Keep posting the photos! All of them are great and inspirational, like this powerful purple group at USU-CEU.”
Three hours after the post on HRC’s wall, 119 comments had been given about the photo and 1,201 people had “liked” it.
The photo got a lot of positive feedback and many of the comments contained the surprise and admiration that even in Utah people will still stand up for what they believe in.
One such comment said, “As a straight ally who was raised in Utah, I have a fine appreciation for Utahans who speak up, stand out and stay strong in the face of adversity.”
The picture posted to the HRC’s wall had only been intended to show support and no one expected the attention it received. The feelings it gave to those who were in the photo were incredible.
They realized by doing something as simple as wearing a certain color on a certain day in Utah, they could inspire by remembering and by standing out in a state dominated by closed-mindedness.
In an activity hosted by USU-CEU’s Gay Straight Alliance Club, students met at Gibby and painted the rock purple. They also included peace symbols and various other signs, along with the quote from Harvey Milk, “Hope will never be silent.”
They also wrote words of support and love all over the sidewalk outside of the Jennifer Levitt Student Center.
The Wear Purple…day went well. Students remembered, informed others of the day and its meaning and also got the chance to inspire others.
