Join millions of Americans standing up against bullying on 10/19 by adding your purple pictures to Instagram! Spirit Day is annual day in October when millions of Americans wear purple to speak out against bullying and to show their support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth.
Instagram users, take a stand against bullying and turn Instagram purple! Take photos of you and your friends or coworkers wearing purple, and add them to Instagram with the #SpiritDay tag. If you upload a purple pic to the tag, you have a chance of being featured on our Spirit Day page!
Not sure how to get a purple photo for Instagram? Here are three really easy ways:
Wear a purple outfit on Friday, October 19 and upload a photo of yourself to Instagram with tag #SpiritDay
Use GLAAD’s apps for iPhone and Android to add a badge and upload your purple pictures directly to Instagram with tag #SpiritDay
Use GLAAD's #SpiritDay tool and after you turn your profile pictures purple, then upload them to Instagram with tag #SpiritDay
Don't forget to share your photos to Facebook and Twitter after you post to Instagram!
You can also get involved by downloading GLAAD’s Spirit Day resource kit, which contains tools to help turn your community purple in a stand against bullying. Spirit Day participants can also spread the word by telling their friends that they’re going purple on 10/19. Or, you can text PURPLE to 80888 to donate $5 to support the important work GLAAD,GLSEN and The Trevor Project do every day to end bullying and support LGBT youth.
Breakout reality star Honey Boo Boo will be wearing her finest purple for #SpiritDay tomorrow, as first reported by Marc Malkin at E! News. And she'll be joined by Uncle Poodle!
"We've always supported gay people, even long before the show started," Mama June told E! Online. "We didn't just do it because we have the show. Some people are kind of scared—what you'd call homophobes—but everyone knew Sugar Bear had a gay brother. It's not a big deal."
You can also get involved by downloading GLAAD’s Spirit Day resource kit, which contains tools to help turn your community purple in a stand against bullying. Spirit Day participants can also spread the word by telling their friends that they’re going purple on 10/19. Or, you can text PURPLE to 80888 to donate $5 to support the important work GLAAD,GLSEN and The Trevor Project do every day to end bullying and support LGBT youth.
The TV landscape will take on a purple hue tomorrow when scores of media corporations, networks, outlets, and personalities take a stand against bullying and support LGBT youth. They will join countless landmarks, major professional sports leagues, organizations, companies, and millions of Americans by participating in Spirit Day on October 19.
“From sports leagues to faith institutions to national monuments, schools and celebrities, millions of Americans will unite this week in an extraordinary show of support for LGBT youth and in a stand against bullying,” said GLAAD President Herndon Graddick. “At a time when 8 out of 10 LGBT youth report being harassed at school, it’s now more important than ever that we let every young person know that it’s okay to be who you are.”
Media companies and networks across the TV dial will be participating on-air, online, through network talent and social media, and with employee engagement efforts. These include:
In addition, VH1.com, LogoTV.com and NewNowNext.com, will feature stories and never-before-seen "It Gets Better" clips. MTV will also turn its 44 ½ high-definition screen in Times Square purple for the day.
Hosts of a number of talk shows will wear purple on-air on the 19th including:
Good Morning America
Watch What Happens Live (Andy Cohen is going purple for tonight’s show)
Access Hollywood
CNBC
E! News
Extra
The Talk
Jimmy Kimmel Live
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
The Wendy Williams Show
Hosts and staff of Chelsea Lately will be tweeting #SpiritDay messages as well.
The number of participating performers and celebrities has already risen to more than a hundred names, and includes Spirit Day ambassadors Dianna Agron, Perez Hilton, Avan Jogia, Shay Mitchell, Shaquille O’Neal, Maria Menounos, George Takei and Wendy Williams. Just a few of the additional names include:
In an unprecedented show of support, GLAAD today announced that the six most prominent American major sports leagues -- The National Basketball Association (NBA), National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Baseball (MLB), Major League Soccer (MLS) and NASCAR's diversity program -- will all ‘go purple’ for Spirit Day, in addition to a number of professional athletes and sports organizations. You can find the full list of sports participants here.
The 'Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign' will be turned purple and several hotels on the Las Vegas strip will light their marquees purple with an anti-bullying message, GLAAD previously announced with R&R Partners Foundation. In addition, the Duke Energy Tower in Charlotte, NC will join the New York Stock Exchange, Thomson Reuters’ Times Square screen, the LAX Pylon Lights and JFK traffic tower in lighting up purple for Spirit Day on October 19. Check out all the major landmarks going purple here.
Stars of ABC Family’s most popular series will be going purple for Spirit Day this Friday, October 19 to show their support for LGBT youth and take a stand against bullying. Check out tweets from some celebs who are already going purple including Spirit Day ambassador Shay Mitchell, Lindsey Shaw and Janel Parrish (Pretty Little Liars); D.W. Moffett and Constance Marie (Switched at Birth); and Cierra Ramirez (The Secret Life of the American Teenager).
Other ABC talent that will be going purple for Spirit Day on Friday, October 19 includes Bailey Buntain (Bunheads), Melissa Peterman (Baby Daddy), Lea Thompson and Marlee Matlin (Switched at Birth).
And check out the other celebrities who are participating including Glee's Dianna Agron, Joel McHale, Wendy Williams and Shaquille O'Neal! They will all be in purple along with landmarks including Times Square and the New York Stock Exchange!
On October 19, supporters across the world will Go Purple for Spirit Day in a stand against bullying and to show their support for LGBT youth. Today, 8 out of 10 LGBT students report experiencing harassment at school, according to GLSEN's 2011 National Climate Survey.
Last year, GLSEN found that 63.9% of LGBT students reported being verbally harassed, while another 27% reported being physically harassed, and six out of ten felt unsafe at school. For students of color, more than half of African American students felt harassed and unsafe in school as found in Shared Differences, which highlights bullying experiences for LGBT youth of color.
GLAAD is proud stand alongside so many community organizations that focus on empowering LGBT youth of color and their experiences as LGBT youth. Spirit Day has garnered great partnerships with organizations such as:
National Black Justice Coalition, Trans People of Color Coalition, Gay Men of African Descent, LGBT Leaders of African Descent, API Equality- LA, Gay Asian Pacific Island Mend of New York, and National Youth Pride Services. Here’s a full list of our community partners, here, all creating awareness and empowerment.
"National Youth Pride Services supports GLAAD's Spirit Day as it focuses on one of the points of the National Strategy For Black Gay Youth In America: bullying. Black LGBT youth face bullying on many levels: school, church and even at home. Spirit Day provides the nation with a day to bring attention to the effects bullying can have on LGBT youth that would ordinarily be overlooked."
Media partners have also been instrumental. BET voiced its support in going purple, today. Clay Cane of Equality Pride Radio and BET.com entertainment editor also issued his continued and unhinging support to stand in solidarity for LGBT youth. Clay hosts “Clay Cane Live on WWRL 1600 AM via Equality Pride Radio.
Clay states, “I will bullied like hell in middle school and high school. It was a time in my life where I felt isolated and unsupported. Being a kid with a free spirit brought me terror in the hallways, abuse from teachers and laughs from classmates. At one point, I never thought I would get through it — but I did. Now, being a free spirit has only helped me in life and my career. I am proud to stand in solidarity with Spirit Day!"
This unified effort will send a powerful message to LGBT youth. GLAAD appreciates the outpouring of support from of our community members this October 19 for Spirit Day 2012.
And check out other celebs who are going purple including Glee's Dianna Agron, Joel McHale, Wendy Williams and Shaquille O'Neal! They will all be going purple along with landmarks such as Times Square and the New York Stock Exchange!
Fans have appreciated Degrassi’s long history of exceptional depictions of LGBT youth, which have garnered the series three GLAAD Media Award nominations. The groundbreaking storyline of transgender teen Adam was recently nominated for an Emmy and won the prestigious Peabody Award. It should be no surprise that the cast members of such an inclusive series were happy to show off their #SpiritDay purple. Check out the gallery below.
Participation in Spirit Day, as well as the new bullying prevention resources, are just the latest ways in which Facebook has demonstrated its strong commitment to supporting its LGBT users and preventing bullying. In June Facebook added same-sex icons for married couples.
"When young people find a sea of purple profile photos and supportive voices on their favorite websites and apps, it sends a powerful message that it's okay to be who you are," said GLAAD president Herndon Graddick. "Tech giants like Facebook and Yahoo! are leading the way in taking steps to address bullying and bringing Spirit Day's message to young people year round."
Social media is critically important to spreading the word about Spirit Day, and supporters are encouraged to make their Facebook and Twitter profile photos purple using the tools on the Spirit Day website, www.glaad.org/spiritday. Even the White House went purple on Spirit Day.
Other tech companies supported Spirit Day as well.
Tumblr supported Spirit Day on its social media channels and posted a video on its Storyboard blog about the importance of standing up against bullying.
Mobli participated by creating a special Spirit Day channel where users can share photos of themselves wearing purple to stand up against bullying.
The cast and crew of the GLAAD Media Award-winning NBC daily drama Days of our Lives went purple on set today and took these pictures to show their support to LGBT youth and speak out against bullying.
Days of our Lives introduced several gay characters in the past two years and has tackled several storylines that reflect the lives of LGBT youth. Will Horton for several months struggled to come to terms with his orientation and faced the difficulties of coming out to his family. He is now in a loving relationship with Sonny Kiriakis who was the soap’s first openly gay character. Days of our Lives has taken great steps to include gay teens in the Salem universe in which it has revolved for the past 47 years and seeing the cast in purple for Spirit Day only reinforces a commitment to telling the stories of the LGBT community in a fair and accurate manner.
Stars of MTV's 'Jersey Shore' took a break from the gym, tanning and laundry today to put on their purple for #SpiritDay in a stand against bullying and to show their support for LGBT youth. DJ Pauly D, JWOWW, Snooki and Sammi Sweetheart all tweeted their support for Spirit Day:
Join me and stand against bullying! Go purple for #SpiritDay 10/19 now at glaad.org/spiritday and wear purple today!
Twitter CEO Dick Costolo joined employees on Friday in wearing for #SpiritDay in a stand against bullying and to show their support for LGBT youth. The company's LGBTQA group, Twitter Open, tweeted a photo of some of the staff with Costolo, saying, "We are wearing purple today to show our support for #LGBT youth and to stand up against #bullying #SpiritDay."
Twitter has been intrumental to the success of this year's #SpiritDay, with celebrities, students, LGBT people and allies taking to the platform to show their support. The volume of tweets about Spirit Day grew so large that the hashtag #SpiritDay was trending for parts of the day in the United States.
Social media is critically important to spreading the word about Spirit Day, and supporters are encouraged to make their Facebook and Twitter profile photos purple using the tools on the Spirit Day website, www.glaad.org/spiritday. Even President Obama and the White House went purple on Twitter for Spirit Day.
Tumblr supported Spirit Day on its social media channels and posted a video on its Storyboard blog about the importance of standing up against bullying.
Mobli participated by creating a special Spirit Day channel where users can share photos of themselves wearing purple to stand up against bullying.
A number of LGBT-focused blogs, news websites and media outlets, as well as community media outlets, are going purple for #SpiritDay! Check out your favorite sources for LGBT-related stories and communtiy media showing their support for LGBT youth and standing against bullying by going purple!
Queerty has turned its website purple and included a banner to let readers know that "Queerty Supports #SpiritDay":
Washington, DC-based LGBT newspaper The Washington Blade is going puple in support of LGBT youth and to stand against bullying in its print logo, web logo and on social media:
The Advocate turned its logo purple for Spirit Day:
President Barack Obama tweeted his support for #SpiritDay on Friday, joining millions in a stand against bullying and to show his support of LGBT youth!
The president retweeted a post from the official White House page, announcing that the White House had 'gone #purple for #SpiritDay' and linking to the official White House Blog, which provides readers with more information and resources. The White House's official Facebook, Twitter and Google+ pages all shared messages of support for #SpiritDay. This marks the second consecutive year that the White House has gone purple for #SpiritDay in a stand against bullying and to show support for LGBT youth.
Spirit Day -- the celebration created by a young Canadian woman named Brittany McMillan to honor and support young people who have been victims of bullying -- is now three years old.
It has become a day when people the world over rally for the LGBT community and speak out against the bullying of LGBT teens.
And this year, the White House is once again going purple online. You can check out our Twitter feed or our Facebook page to see how we're marking the day -- and take part by making your social networking icon purple or adding a statement of support.
To learn more about what you can do to support kids and stop bullying, check out stopbullying.gov/.
The Obama administration has been a longstanding ally to the LGBT community. Earlier this week, the White House released a video highlighting progress made for LGBT equality. Watch below.
Morning hosts of CNBC, CNN, MSNBC, ‘Good Morning America,’ ‘LIVE with Kelly and Michael,’ ‘TODAY’ and 'The Wendy Williams Show' also participated in Spirit Day this morning by wearing purple on-air. Ginger Zee of ‘Good Morning America’ gave #SpiritDay a special shout out on-air. Andy Cohen and his guests were also in purple last night on ‘Watch What Happens Live.’
You can also get involved by downloading GLAAD’s Spirit Day resource kit, which contains tools to help turn your community purple in a stand against bullying. Spirit Day participants can also spread the word by telling their friends that they’re going purple on 10/19. Or, you can text PURPLE to 80888 to donate $5 to support the important work GLAAD,GLSEN and The Trevor Project do every day to end bullying and support LGBT youth.
TLC stars, including Honey Boo Boo and her family, wore their best purple today to take a stand against bullying and send a message of support to LGBT youth on #SpiritDay.
On the official Honey Boo Boo Facebook page, Alana posted a Spirit Day message, saying "u can't change the way u r or who u fell in love with...and we support uncle poodle and all the other poodles in the world too."
The network often features LGBT people on its reality series, including hosts and consultants on What Not to Wear, and the Say Yes to the Dress franchise and many times has featured same-sex couples on its bridal shows. Seeing so many TLC celebrities wear purple on #SpiritDay only reinforces the networks’ support of the LGBT community.
Check out TLC Celebrities who have tweeted about Spirit Day, including Alana Thompson aka Honey Boo Boo and her family; Bill and Jen, known as “The Little Couple;” Monte Durham of Say Yes to the Dress Atlanta who wrote a blog post about Spirit Day; Theresa Caputo of Long Island Medium; Katherine and Sophie from DC Cupcakes; Robyn Sullivan Brown of Sister Wives; Buddy Valastro of Cake Boss; and Clinton Kelly from What Not to Wear.
The iconic New York Stock Exchange shone in purple for #SpiritDay on Friday, joining millions in a united stand against bullying and in a display of support for LGBT youth.
From Wall Street to the White House, America was draped in purple yesterday, helping to share messages of support with countless young people across the globe.
Lamentablemente, desde entonces ha surgido el trending topic homofóbico“#EsPutito”, diminutivo de la palabra “puto,” que en algunos países latinoamericanos tiene una connotación despectiva contra las personas gays. Paralelamente, ayer también surgió en inglés el trending topic homofóbico #SignsYoSonIsGay, contra el cual se manifestaron muchos en Twitter por. Aunque algunos ya han comenzado a criticar esta falta de conciencia, es fundamental que se haga llegar el mensaje de aceptación y respeto para todo ser humano a la mayor cantidad de gente posible.
Por eso estamos lanzando un llamado a nuestra comunidad LGBT y nuestros aliados por todo el mundo a ayudar a recuperar el hashtag: escriban una nota positiva incluyendo los hashtags #EsPutito"
Super divertido que ayer fuera TT el #SpiritDay y hoy regresamos a la intolerancia y agresión con #EsPutito. Hipócritas.
From the White House to the newsroom to Las Vegas to the classroom, millions participated in Spirit Day yesterday by wearing purple or going purple online – all in a visible stand against bullying and in support of LGBT young people.
Wearing purple on Spirit Day has become a national symbol for allies and all those who want LGBT young people to know that they’re supported for who they are. GLAAD worked with hundreds of partners including national and local organizations, schools, celebrities, sports leagues, Spanish-language media, web sites, and corporations.
Now it’s up to all of us to continue Spirit Day’s message throughout the year. And we need your help to continue #SpiritDay by texting PURPLE to 80888 to donate $5 to support the important work GLAAD,GLSEN and The Trevor Project do every day to end bullying and support LGBT youth.
“At a time when 8 out of 10 LGBT youth report being harassed at school, it’s now more important than ever that we let every young person know that it’s okay to be who you are," said GLAAD President Herndon Graddick. "Spirit Day saw participation from such a wide range of celebrities, landmarks, sports teams and churches, that it's clear we're living in a world where anti-gay attitudes are outdated and out of step with the rest of our culture."
Reba McEntire and the cast of Malibuy County, Snooki and other Jersey Shore cast
Shay Mitchell & Maria Menounous, Avan Jogia
Modern Family cast members, Wanda Sykes
World Renowned Dog Behaviorist & star of the upcoming series “Leader of the Pack” Cesar Millan along with People en Espanol editor Armando Correa and his family
“Creating a culture of respect and trust is part of PepsiCo’s values and it’s the source of our strength in the marketplace. That’s why we’ll need the unique talent and insights of today’s students and young people to lead our company in the future. We commend GLSEN for their leadership and support GLAAD’s anti-bullying efforts as part of Spirit Day.”
EDUCATION, SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES
Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan tweeted a photo showing his support and LGBT young people had their voices heard and worked to turn their local communities purple. Teenager Blake Danford spoke out on Facebook: “Not only was it amazing to see SO many different people and organizations "Go purple" (like the white house's website, for example), but it created an incredible dialogue on Facebook. I remember a good friend of mine posting a picture of himself in his purple shirt, accompanying a very heart-felt story of why he chose to wear it that day. He, a straight male and one of the best allies to the LGBT community I have ever known, shared his story of how he was bullied all through school, and how no one should have to go through what he went through. Stories like his are what made that day so special.”
FAITH
GLAAD worked with dozens of faith organizations to spread support for LGBT people. Richard Oceguera, the President of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce of New York told GLAAD, “Proud. Welcomed. Loved. These are some of the feelings I experienced as I listened to my pastor announce St. Francis Xavier's participation in GLAADs Spirit Day initiative. But what blew me away was hearing Spirit Day included in the prayer section of the mass. How amazing is it that a Catholic church is praying for the success of Spirit Day? Hats off to GLAAD for taking LGBT equality to our religious institutions!"
The battle rounds begin as contestants battle their teammates in duets with help from mentors Billie Joe Armstrong, Mary J. Blige, Michael Buble and Rob Thomas. This season the twist is that coaches can steal a losing artist for their own team. Out contestant De'Borah is a member of Team Xtina.
Twelve stars return to compete for $100,000 and the ultimate honor of being the first in the RuPaul's Drag Race Hall of Fame. In the supersized first episode (featuring 10 bonus minutes), the contestants are challenged to produce high fashion editorial photo spreads for guest judges Rachel Hunter and Ross Matthews. Stay tuned after the episode for a new Untucked as the drag queens discuss the night's drama. Watch the trailer below.
This morning and afternoon, check your local listings for information about Ellen, The Talk (CBS) and The Chew (ABC). Days of Our Lives on NBC (check local listings for time) features gay character Will as a series regular; keep an eye out for developments between Will and recurring gay characters Sonny and Neil.
_____________________________
About TV Gayed Grab the remote or set your DVR! GLAAD brings you the most up-to-date listing of LGBT content on television every weekday. Check GLAAD Blog for daily TV Gayed posts!
About GLAAD The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) amplifies the voice of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community by empowering real people to share their stories, holding the media accountable for the words and images they present, and helping grassroots organizations communicate effectively. By ensuring that the stories of LGBT people are heard through the media, GLAAD promotes understanding, increases acceptance, and advances equality. For more information, see www.glaad.org, www.facebook.com/glaad and www.twitter.com/glaad.
Broadway's Bring It On: The Musical and its stars were among those who went purple for #SpiritDay on 10/19 in a stand against bullying and to show their support for LGBT youth.
We’ve changed our profile picture to support @glaad and #Spiritday. RT this post to stand side-by-side with @glaad today!
Bring It On: The Musical tells the story of the challenges and unexpected bonds formed through the thrill of extreme competition. Uniting some of the freshest and funniest creative minds on Broadway, Bring It On: The Musical is inspired by the Bring It On film and features an original story by Tony Award® winner Jeff Whitty (Avenue Q), music and lyrics by Tony Award®-winning composer Lin-Manuel Miranda (In the Heights), music by Pulitzer and Tony Award®-winning composer Tom Kitt (Next to Normal), lyrics by Broadway lyricist Amanda Green (High Fidelity) and music supervision by Tony and Grammy Award® winner Alex Lacamoire. The production is directed and choreographed by Tony Award® winner Andy Blankenbuehler (In the Heights).
Other participants included the White House, the iconic 'Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas' sign and Strip, hosts of Good Morning America, the cast of Degrassi, Facebook, Twitter and more. Check out a full #SpiritDay recap here.
When the White House goes purple on Facebook and Twitter, encouraging Americans to take a stand against bullying and show their support for LGBT youth, you know you were a part of something big.
From Facebook to the Detroit Tigers and all Major League Baseball teams, to The Wendy Williams Show, Times Square, MTV and the lights of the Las Vegas Strip -- America proudly went purple for LGBT young people on Spirit Day.
I found the photos from Spirit Day truly inspirational. I invite you to check them out as well:
GLAAD worked with countless schools, TV hosts, celebrities, organizations, companies, and every major American sports league to send a message of acceptance to young people everywhere. That's what made the third annual Spirit Day a national phenomenon and the most visible day of the year for supporters of LGBT young people.
Don't forget to share your photos to Facebook and Twitter after you post to Instagram!
Ayer fue un día maravilloso en que millones (incluyendo 
