Happy #SpiritDay! Tweet us your photos and show us your purple outfits. How are you showing your support for LGBTQ youth? 💜💜 pic.twitter.com/4xisslERQY
— GLAAD (@glaad) October 19, 2017
Spirit Day, a yearly campaign spearheaded by GLAAD, has arrived again! It’s a campaign designed to show visible support for LGBTQIA youth and against bullying, and GLAAD encourages everyone to stand with them in solidarity by wearing purple. The internet has come out in droves.
Of course, there are the celebrity supporters:
I’m in my #SpiritDay purple today to say that I stand against bullying & I support LGBT youth with all my heart 🏳️‍🌈@glaad pic.twitter.com/YJEkAifmmk
— Tatiana Maslany (@tatianamaslany) October 19, 2017
No one should be bullied or called names simply for being who they are. #SpiritDay #Mom pic.twitter.com/3xuyKIXpPS
— Mom (@MomCBS) October 19, 2017
About last night – these two helped us kick off #SpiritDay with @justtranter in LA. Retweet if you’re standing against bullying with Adam and Troye! pic.twitter.com/MrDgoaREvN
— GLAAD (@glaad) October 19, 2017
Join the #WillAndGrace cast in celebrating #SpiritDay with @glaad to show support to LGBTQ youth! 💜 #prideNBCU https://t.co/O5wyXCQdPD pic.twitter.com/qhOcNwSv6F
— Will & Grace (@WillAndGrace) October 19, 2017
No one should ever be bullied for being who they are. Today @kellyripa and I are going purple to stand against bullying! #SpiritDay pic.twitter.com/0gYp8AHxYD
— Ryan Seacrest (@RyanSeacrest) October 19, 2017
And then there are other amazing, badasses out there contributing to the #SpiritDay hashtag:
IT IS #SPIRITDAY 💜💜💜💜💜💜 pic.twitter.com/bfqaELxYKN
— Blair Imani (@BlairImani) October 19, 2017
Happy to wear purple for @GLAAD’s #SpiritDay – and to fight every day for a country where LGBTQ youth feel safe and loved. pic.twitter.com/XdNp4BUiIh
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) October 19, 2017
With you @glaad we don’t care much for bullies #SpiritDay 💜💜 pic.twitter.com/JBV5Kp2q9Q
— tara strong (@tarastrong) October 19, 2017
Marvel Comics has a special issue devoted to the day:
Celebrate #SpiritDay with a free copy of Avengers: No More Bullying. No matter who you are, Marvel is Your Universe! https://t.co/zqCKvjtian pic.twitter.com/t5XEsyuRjT
— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) October 19, 2017
Even Tony the Tiger is getting in on the act:
We think you’re gr-r-reat just the way you are. #SpiritDay #LetYourGreatOut pic.twitter.com/kcOJ78Uyqn
— Tony the Tiger (@realtonytiger) October 19, 2017
You know? I always suspected that he and Toucan Sam were dating, but I haven’t been able to confirm anything …
And then there’s this amazing tweet from HBO’s Westworld, where Maeve reminds us of something very important:
“Be whoever the f*ck you want.”#SpiritDay @glaad pic.twitter.com/apvijjjkVW
— Westworld (@WestworldHBO) October 19, 2017
Jokes aside, Spirit Day is important to acknowledge and support. Why? Here are some stats from GLAAD:
#SpiritDay stories like mine: bullying as an intersectional issue https://t.co/VNpDCtrhf6 pic.twitter.com/mg8x5CmRO7
— GLAAD (@glaad) October 19, 2017
So, other than showing solidarity and turning your social media purple, what else can you do to help LGBTQIA youth in the fight against bullying?
- Donate to GLAAD. They’re working all year round in the fight against discrimination against the LGBTQIA community.
- Engage with your, or your child’s school. One heartbreaking theme in a lot of stories surrounding Spirit Day is that, very often, other kids and teachers know that bullying is happening, but they don’t do anything about it. Students then don’t feel safe reporting incidents, because they don’t see the point and feel that Whether you’re a student yourself, or the parent of a student, don’t be afraid to organize and demand that your school enact better policies surrounding bullying.
- I happen to be on the Board of Directors of an arts organization called Arts Out Loud, which focuses on bridging the gap between young LGBTQIA arts students and the higher arts education they want to pursue in order to make their voices heard as artists. So often, LGBTQIA find a safe haven in the arts, and supporting that safe haven can make a huge difference in the life of a bullied kid. If you’d like to donate to Arts Out Loud’s inaugural scholarship program, CLICK HERE.
And most importantly of all, you can help cultivate a more loving and tolerant world in your own day-to-day life by treating every person you encounter with kindness and respect, and teaching your children to do the same.
(image: GLAAD)
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