What is Pink Shirt Day? How one act of kindness kick started a global movement

The classic film Mean Girls" said it best: On Wednesdays, we wear pink." Pink Shirt Day 2023 is officially kicking off this Wednesday; here's everything you need to know.

Inspired by a simple act of kindness in a small Nova Scotian town, Pink Shirt Day has bloomed from its humble origins in 2007 into a global movement against bullying. The tradition is now being practiced in over 25 countries and has even been recognized by the UN.

Pink Shirt Day is a reminder to everyone that it's not cool to victimize people for any reason - the colour of their skin, their abilities, their heritage, background, culture, religion, how they look and how they identify," said Andy Telfer, Executive Director of the WITS Program Foundation, an organization that teaches children strategies to manage discrimination and bullying.

WITS stands for Walk away, Ignore, Talk it out and Seek help, Telfer said - the anti-bullying advice taught by the program in schools across Canada. WITS helped organize the official Pink Shirt Day Canada.

The event, which falls on the last Wednesday of February every year, will see students, school staff and supporters donning pink shirts in solidarity with victims of bullying and discrimination. Despite its popularity, the tradition stems from humble origins.

How did Pink Shirt Day start?

As reported by the Globe and Mail in 2007, Pink Shirt Day first entered the zeitgeist after a grade nine Nova Scotian student received threats for wearing a pink shirt to their first day of school.

After witnessing the attack, two students decided they'd do something about it. After consulting school staff, purchasing dozens of pink T-shirts and garnering support through social media, the youths began distributing the shirts in school. They ran out in minutes, according to the Globe and Mail.

The very next day, more people came wearing pink than they ever expected," Telfer recalled. He said hundreds of students, about 75 per cent of the school, showed up in a stunning display of solidarity.

The main bullier just left, he went home, and there was a lot of cursing, ranting and raving," said David Shepherd, a then-grade 12 student who helped organize the event, to the Globe and Mail.

As news of the event spread, neighbouring schools began to follow suit. Now, over a decade later, anti-bullying fundraisers are popping up in countries around the globe. Last year, one Pink Shirt Day fundraiser reported donations and support from people in almost 180 different countries.

Why is Pink Shirt Day important?

Bullying is and has been a major issue plaguing our youth, yet one adults sometimes have difficulty empathizing with. According to Public Safety Canada, 47 per cent of Canadian parents have at least one child that has been a victim of bullying - the agency also estimates roughly a third of the general population have been bullied as children.

The phenomenon isn't limited to kids either - roughly 40 per cent of Canadians are bullied in the workplace every week.

Now, with the advent of the internet and social media, cyberbullying has rapidly risen in popularity, to the point where roughly 31 per cent of Canadian youth say they've been a victim, according to the RCMP. Cyberbullies and their victims are twice as likely as their peers to commit suicide.

That said, Pink Shirt Day has done wonders for raising awareness of bullying, Telfer said - the day has been recognized by the federal government and nations around the world, and is practised in schools across the nation. When you get to that level, you're having an impact," Telfer said.

How to celebrate Pink Shirt Day

Schools across the GTA and Canada are encouraging students and staff to wear pink for the day; individual schools may have their own events planned.

Other than donning your pinkest shade of shirt in solidarity with victims of bullying, students from kindergarten to grade 12 can tune into the official Pink Shirt Day broadcast - a 40 minute interactive show designed for schools.

Don't have any pink in your closet? Worry not, because this year's official pink shirts can now be ordered online. The 2023 design was created in partnership with Naut'sa mawt Tribal Council, by 17-year-old Koyah Morgan-Banke from Toquaht Nation.

This piece is inspired by unconditional love and support, designed to encapsulate the feeling of support and your ability to uplift' those around you," said Morgan-Banke in a news release.

Where to donate for Pink Shirt Day

If pink is truly not your colour, you can still support the cause by donating to Canadian Pink Shirt Day charities like the WITS Program Foundation or the CKNW Kids' Fund - a registered charity from the News Talk 980 CKNW radio station that donates 100 per cent of its proceeds to various different organizations supporting children's emotional health.

Numerous other none-Pink Shirt Day-specific anti-bullying charities also exist, such as Bullying Canada, No Time For That or Dare to Care.

It's a time to remind people to choose kindness," Telfer said. ...I encourage everyone to remember that what they say and do has an impact on others, sometimes a greater impact than they might know.

So please, be kind, be sensitive to those around you. The world will be a better place."

Kevin Jiang is a Toronto-based staff reporter for the Star's Express Desk. Follow him on Twitter: @crudelykevin