“It’s not just a rainbow flag, it’s a sign that I can be myself and will be safe”
Are you wearing purple on purple Friday?
December 8th is Purple Friday. Symbolically, this is a day in which students and university staff can show their support to the struggles that LGBTQIA+ folk still face. The feelings that people have around this vary quite a bit. On one hand, there are people who argue that being queer in the Netherlands is already quite easy. On the other hand, there are people who argue that there are still places where being queer is difficult, even in this country. Your feelings on this may naturally vary depending on your experiences, but it is true that violence and discrimination against queer people in general seem to have been increasing in the past 2-3 years [1].
Cynically speaking, we cannot solve this in the blink of an eye, and Purple Friday isn’t going to solve this all. However, wearing some purple clothing or accessories on Purple Friday could at least provide people who feel unsafe with some nicer reminders: that they are looked after by the TU Delft staff, that these waves of negativity do not represent the norm and, most of all, that other people acknowledge they feel unsafe. This visibility contributes in a very positive way to a better atmosphere on campus for LGBTQ+ people, both in -and out of the closet.
Something will be organized at almost every faculty. For instance, there will be a number of places on campus where you can get purple bracelets, a presentation on how to be an ally, or you can use VR goggles to take a look into the life of a non-binary person.
Want to know what’s being organized at your faculty? Then keep an eye on this website: www.dwhdelft.nl/resources
Dante Pelk: “Most students I have talked to really value it a lot if teachers and staff wear purple, so hereby my call; please put 8th December on your agenda and wear something purple. There will also be rainbow TU stickers at every service point that teachers can pick up and hand out. Let’s show that this campus is a welcoming place for queer staff and students.”
[1]: https://coc.nl/en/opnieuw-stijging-meldingen-lhbti-discriminatie
