I’m an LGBTQ Ally
Today, I’m wearing purple as part of an online-organised day to honour the recent LGBTQ kids who encountered so much homophobia the only solution they could find was suicide, as well as to take a stand against hatred towards anyone who doesn’t identify with heterosexuality or their biological gender. (I think anyone who’s been reading my blog for any length of time will find it easy to imagine why I despise homophobia.) Then, I saw Ana tweet about how her blog is already purple, but if she could she’d make it more so. And I thought: my theme has a custom header option! Why isn’t my blog wearing purple?! So, I grabbed a freely-available-via-Creative-Commons purple texture from virtually_supine and ‘officially’ announced my ally state. I know quite a few of you have this WordPress theme, so in case you’d like to put on some purple yourself, here’s the header without my blog title (click on it to get the full-size). To save it to your (PC) computer, right click on the file and select ‘save as.’ Then just upload it to the free photo-editing site Picnik, click the ‘Create’ tab, and then the ‘Text’ button in order to add your own blog’s name; I used the ‘Just Me Again Down Here’ font.
Since I’m still busy with house stuff, I’m trying to keep myself to an every-other-day posting schedule, so I’m keeping this short and sweet (seriously, I’m having to almost physically restrain myself from writing an essay on this). I’m an ally every day, though, so I plan on creating a button for permanent display in my sidebar as well. I’ll make it freely available as well.
A Striped Armchair 
love the header and reason for it eva ,all the best stu
You too stu. :)
I love the “ally” tag. It’s not just a show of acceptance, it’s one of support, friendship and love.
That’s a great way to put it Kristen!
I will definitely adopt the button when you put it up.
I wore some purple accessories today since I had to work, but I feel you. I was looking to see who around me was sporting purple. It is such an important topic and I am glad that so many people are coming out in support.
I’m just trying to figure out how to do the button while still giving credit to the creator of the background. :) (I might just go take a pic of something purple myself so I can make a button w/o any worries!)
I love the header, and that you are an LGBTQ ally :) I’m glad that I wore purple yesterday, though I didn’t think to change my header.
I only thought of it after Ana’s tweet! She’s a clever one. ;)
I too wore purple yesterday! I love your new header!
Thanks Zee!
Love your new header!
Thanks Willa!
The most creative method of wearing purple that I heard of yesterday – good for you, Eva!
Totally inspired by Ana! :)
Although I’m a writer, my “day” job is teaching at a college, and all of us in the classroom would do well to tell our students: when you see someone being mistreated, we expect you to be leaders, not followers, and speak up.
Very well put Shelley. I’m working on my teaching certification, and I want to make it very clear that my classroom is a welcoming place for ALL students.
LOVE the purple header!
But what I really came by to say is that the November Novella Challenge is back. I hope you’ll join again!
http://novembernovellachallenge.blogspot.com/
Thanks for letting me know JT! I’m a little late on this, but I’ll see if I can rustle together a list. ;)
Lovely header for a very good cause! Unfrotunately I did not know about the wear purple day, otherwise I could have participated, too. Last week in Finnish TV there was a big debate about gay people and marriage (we have registered partnerships but not gay marriage here at the moment) and some of the debaters in the against camp said some pretty awful things that many people understood as representing the teachings of the Finnish Lutheran Church (even though there were a priest also in the for camp). Because of that over 20000 have officially left the church since the day the debate was broadcasted! It makes me happy to know that so many people felt so strongly about gay rights, but I’m also sad as I don’t thing it is a good idea to leave the Church for the conservatives.
Greetings,
Tiina
Wow Tiina! The intersection of religion and politics is tricky, isn’t it? The new church that I’ve been trying out here is GLBT friendly, which was very important to me because I think it’s a benchmark of a church’s attitude. I hate how polarising beliefs that can leave organisations (churches, political parties, etc.) to the extremists, so I can understand your sadness. But I was raised Catholic, and I could never be a Catholic nowadays considering what the Pope has to say on a variety of issues, including homosexuality and condoms.
My 14-year-old son and his friends wore purple to high school today, and I was proud!
That’s awesome! :D
This is wonderful and I’m sorry I missed out — the whole purple thing hasn’t filtered over here to the UK, at least not that I’m aware of. Thanks for spreading the message.
It makes sense that it’s more US-centric since it was in response to US suicides. :( But perhaps next year it’ll be bigger!
I also wore purple on October 20th and even reviewed a YA book earlier in the week on my blog about a gay teen struggling with thoughts of suicide and ultimately finding hope. Going out in public and seeing other people wearing purple too was fantastic and makes me feel optimistic about the future. I think more people, even staunch religious conservatives, are starting to see that while you may not agree with the lifestyle choice, that doesn’t mean its right to torment and degrade someone who is still one of God’s children. It’s not 100% where I wish we were right now (total acceptance) but at least it’s on the right path.
I certainly hope that’s the case Bitsy! I was talking with my mom, and we agreed that when she was my age it was barely even talked about, so that’s progress.
Thank you for doing this. With Purple day and the “It Gets Better” campaign hopefully we can raise awareness and help children understand that it does get better.
PB
I hope so PB. The “It Gets Better” campaign is so incredible, and I really hope that the kids who need to see it have access to it.
Hats off to you! I work with children and see firsthand the toll that homophobia and associated bullying takes especially on those middle school kids I work with that are just sorting through their identity themselves at the same time they are being labeled and targeted.
The certification I’m working towards might have me working with middle school students (grades 4-8), and I imagine I’ll be wearing a lot of purple, metaphorically at least.
Wonderful to know this Eva! Hats off to you :) The header is lovely!
Thanks for also writing about virtually_supine and picnik. They are really useful sites / tools.
I’m glad it was helpful Vishy! :)
Yay! I agree!
If only we ran the world Jenny! ;)