The efforts of local activists to end homophobic bullying were recognized during a proclamation read at city hall by Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson today (October 20).

In proclaiming October 20 as Purple Shirt Day in Vancouver, Robertson recognized initiatives including the Purple Letter Campaign, and a vigil held in Emery Barnes Park on this date last year to remember youth who have committed suicide due to homophobic or transphobic bullying. Another vigil is set to take place this evening.

The Purple Letter Campaign, which was organized by activists Ryan Clayton and Kaitlin Burnett, asked citizens to write letters to the premier and minister of education calling for a provincial sexual orientation and gender identity policy in schools.

Clayton read out some examples of stories in city council chambers that have been told through the letters.

"An exchange student who has to cover his two black eyes, a teacher who is desperately afraid of losing one of her students, a former bully who had to come to terms with her own gender identity, a CEO who brought over $100 million of revenue to the Lower Mainland who wanted to kill himself as a child, a violinist who had absolutely nobody to turn to in school, a comedian who credits a single teacher with saving his life in school, a parent who is absolutely stunned by the open-mindedness of two Grade Threes," said Clayton.

"These are just a few of the many, many letters that we've received from people all over British Columbia, sharing their stories about what life is like, not just for them but for the people around them and how homophobia and transphobia affects them."

"I know from my own experience, words are incredibly powerful, and that's why we see so many suicides related to bullying," he added. "It would be really, really great if we didn't need a purple shirt day, and we didn't need vigils, and we didn't need a letter campaign, and we didn't need any of those things. The problem is right now, we do."

Clayton said organizers will be delivering the letters to the education minister at the B.C. legislature on October 25. He said so far they've received about 150 letters.

The vigil takes place this evening at 7 p.m. in Emery Barnes Park, at Davies and Richards streets. The event is designed to “remember the youth who took their own lives due to homophobic bullying and to show people that it gets better”, according to organizers. Attendees are being encouraged to wear something purple.