THE leaders of every party represented at the Scottish Parliament have spoken in support of the annual Purple Friday campaign, which aims to rally support for LGBT equality.
Organised by LGBT Youth Scotland and taking place on the last Friday of each February, marking the end of LGBT History Month, this year’s Purple Friday saw personal messages delivered from each of the Holyrood party leaders.
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First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: "I want all of Scotland’s young people to know that they live in a country where their government and their parliament support them, value them, and stand with them – for equality and against discrimination or bigotry of any kind.
“Purple Friday is a wonderful opportunity for all of us to celebrate the progress that has been made on LGBTI rights in Scotland, but it’s also a chance to remind ourselves of the work that we can all do to make sure that homophobia, biphobia and transphobia truly become remnants of the past.”
Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie said: “Scotland can and should be the best possible place for everybody to grow up, and supporting LGBT Youth Scotland’s Purple Friday is a fantastic way to show your support for that.”
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar also commented: “We should stand shoulder to shoulder with LGBT communities in the face of the prejudice and hate they face.
“But also, we should recognise the importance of building solidarity and support amongst all our communities so we can root out and defeat prejudice in all its forms.”
Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “It’s through the important work of LGBT Youth Scotland – through their youth groups, their support work and their national projects – that they actually make young people from all of these communities feel included.”
Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross added: “We want all of Scotland’s young people to be able to participate fully in public life and to feel a sense of belonging. LGBT Youth Scotland is working every day to make sure that LGBTI young people have the support they need to develop the skills and confidence to do just that.
Purple Friday celebrated in a previous year
The Purple Friday campaign seeks to raise £20,000 towards LGBT Youth Scotland’s services, which include youth groups, one-to-one support, and national projects with LGBT+ young people.
LGBT Youth Scotland Mhairi Crawford commented: “Purple Friday is an important moment in the year for us, not only because it’s a chance to invite people across Scotland to show their support for LGBTI young people, but also because it fundraises much needed income to maintain our life-changing youth work services.
“We are heartened by the messages of support from party leaders across the political spectrum, which demonstrate that we can all unite around the commitment to ensuring that every young person grows up knowing they are respected, included, and cared for.
“The last year has been challenging for LGBTI young people. However, with the incredible resilience they have shown, and the wonderful support we’ve had for Purple Friday from schools, organisations and individuals around the country, we’re confident we can create a better future together.”
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