The International Day of Pink is a worldwide anti-bullying and
anti-homophobia event held annually during the second week of April. Though similar to
Pink Shirt Day
Anti-Bullying Day (or Pink Shirt Day) is an annual event, held in Canada and other parts of the world, where people wear a pink-coloured shirt to stand against bullying.
The initiative was started in Canada, where it is held on the last Wednes ...
(held in February) in that it also seeks to end all bullying, the Day of Pink is more specifically aimed towards
anti-LGBTQ+ bullying.
The event was sparked when a gay Canadian high-school student was witnessed by two fellow students as being bullied at their school for wearing a pink shirt. The two students got everyone at their school to wear pink the following day as a gesture of support, inspiring
Jer's Vision (now Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity) to establish the International Day of Pink.
In 2012, over 8 million people participated. It is run by youth volunteers in
Ottawa, Ontario
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
.
History
The Day of Pink was sparked in 2007 when students David Shepherd and Travis Price saw a student being bullied for wearing a pink shirt in their
Central Kings Rural High School in
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland".
Most of the population are native Eng ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. Shepherd and Price decided to show support for the student by getting everyone at their school to wear pink the following day.
This initiative inspired some youth at
Jer's Vision (now Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity), who thereby founded International Day of Pink, an effort to support their peers internationally with resources and ways to make their schools safer.
Events
In 2012, students participating the Day of Pink organized numerous flash mobs, including one on Parliament Hill. The International Day of Pink also shares a Gala with JersVision.org and the event has featured comedian
Rick Mercer,
Brian Burke of the
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...
,
and former Canadian ambassador
Stephen Lewis.
See also
*
Jer's Vision
*
School Bullying
School bullying, like bullying outside the school context, refers to one or more perpetrators who have greater physical strength or more social power than their victim repeatedly by acting aggressively toward their victim. Bullying can be verb ...
*
International STAND UP to Bullying Day
International STAND UP to Bullying Day is a special semi-annual event in which participants sign and wear a pink "pledge shirt" to take a visible, public stance against bullying. The event takes place in schools, workplaces, and organizations in 2 ...
References
External links
International Day of Pink
{{LGBT
Public holidays in Canada
April observances
Anti-bullying campaigns
Anti-bullying charities