Young drag queens Cherry Ripe and Jackaranda are teaming up again.
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But this time the duo and some of their friends are putting on a show to raise awareness and funds for Wear It Purple, a youth-led not-for-profit organisation, providing presentations and workshops to support the LGBTIQA+ community.
Wear it Purple Day is an annual LGBTIQA+ awareness day especially for young people, based in Australia. Supporters wear purple to celebrate diversity and young people from the LGBTIQA+ community.
The organisation holds a special place for 11-year-old Jack Khan, aka Jackaranda, who is a Wear It Purple Day ambassador.
"We are doing the show to raise awareness and provide resources to show the LGBTIQA+ community needs support all year round," Jack said.
Ally said her son Jack was "deeply saddened" by the recent suicides in the Kiama area.
"That's what made him really want to do this show," she said.
"Jack is a big advocate for anti-bullying and acceptance. He had his big show at the beginning of the year on it, so it is really important to him.
"He hopes as he goes to high school he can incorporate some of the Wear It Purple themes and make it more accepted in schools.
"There are still a lot of schools that don't accept this lifestyle. Jack wants to change that."
We are doing the show to raise awareness and provide resources to show the LGBTIQA+ community needs support all year round.
- Jackaranda
Jack said he was looking forward to performing with his "big drag sister" Cherry Ripe, 17 again. The duo starred in Jackaranda Says No to Bullying show in February this year.
On October 9 they will perform in the Wear It Purple Drag Extravaganza at The Servo Food Truck Bar in Port Kembla. Other well known drag queen performers Roxee Horror, Ellawarra and Deja vu will also feature in the all-ages show produced by Rotten Events.
"We are really trying to advocate for acceptance and support and we want anyone who is struggling to know that there is help available out there and to reach out," Jack said. Tickets can be purchased from https://events.humanitix.com/wear-it-purple-drag-extravaganza
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