People throughout Langley got dressed this morning with a certain colour in mind.
Today (Wednesday, Feb. 27) marks Pink Shirt Day – an anti-bullying initiative that started after a Grade 9 student was bullied for wearing a pink shirt in 2007.
His peers stood up for him by wearing pink shirts the following day.
Now the initiative has spread worldwide, and students at Langley Secondary School also take part.
LSS principal Marcello Moino explained School District 35 celebrates Pink Shirt Day during the district’s “respect and diversity week.”
Respect and Diversity Week @JKEschool @LangleySchools kicks off with beautiful collaborative work created by students. Looking forward to a week of growing in our understanding of one another. pic.twitter.com/76nbyachO3
— Lisa Lainchbury (@lisalainch) February 27, 2019
During the week, students discuss themes around gratitude, diversity, and unity.
“We then work on a diversity piece, noting we are different in so many ways in terms of our backgrounds and beliefs, but those differences are actually our strengths,” Moino added.
Students at LSS have also worked on putting up heart cutouts throughout the school with kind messages for each other.
This week, staff members have been greeting students on their way into school with smiles and candy.
At the end of the week, students are asked to wear the school’s team clothing to represent “unity.”
Grade 10 student Alexa Adams said she wore pink to “celebrate friendship and being nice to people.”
Jasmine Htoo, Grade 10, also wore pink to support the day, although she said she doesn’t see bullying too often.
“It’s getting better every day,” she added.
At Willowbrook Shopping Centre, Toys ‘R’ Us staff also acknowledged the initiative by wearing pink “Be a Buddy, Not a Bully,” shirts during their shifts.
