It’s official: Spirit Day is almost here. On October 19, millions of Americans will once again wear purple in a stand against bullying and to show their support for LGBT youth.
This year, GLAAD is counting down to Spirit Day with 19 Days of Action – quick and easy steps you can take each day to help stand up to bullying.
Ready to get started?
#SpiritDay: 19 Days of Action – Day 3, October 3, 2012
Now that you've taken the Spirit Day pledge to go purple in a stand against bullying, talk to your friends or family about somebody who is lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) or about somebody who has experienced bullying. Or if you don't want to share a personal story, check out the stories some of our Spirit Day Ambassadors:
Jordan Addison
After bullies vandalized Jordan’s car with anti-gay slurs, a local auto repair shop owner offered to fix it free of charge. In the video above, Jordan shares his story with Ellen DeGeneres.
Katy Butler
Over half a million people signed Katy’s Change.org petition calling on the MPAA to change the rating of BULLY from ‘R’ to ‘PG-13’. The rating was finally changed, helping bring this important film to young people across the nation. Share the BULLY trailer above.
Shane Bitney Crone
After the tragic death of his partner, Shane posted a video online about the harms of marriage inequality and family rejection. Over 3 million people have now heard Shane’s story, which will be turned into a full-length documentary. Shane recently shared his story with Ricki Lake. Share the video above.
Brittany McMillan
In 2010, Brittany encouraged her friends on Tumblr to wear purple to remember those young people who had lost their lives to suicide. Since then, GLAAD has helped turn Spirit Day into a global event that inspires millions of individuals, celebrities, TV personalities, media outlets, companies and schools to wear purple in a stand against bullying. Share Brittany’s op-ed in the Advocate.
Janet Mock
A writer, advocate, and former editor of People.com, Janet publicly shared her teenage transition story in Marie Claire. Janet also founded and runs the digital campaign #GirlsLikeUs to empower trans women, and wrote about her quest to live visibly in Fish Food: A Memoir, which will be published by Atria Books in October 2013. Share Janet’s It Gets Better video above.
Zach Wahls
Author of My Two Moms: Lessons of love, strength and what makes a family and founder of Scouts for Equality, Zach’s speech in support of his two moms before the Iowa state legislature went viral in 2011. Check it out above!
By committing to show your support for LGBT youth by turning your community purple on October 19 and helping to spread the word, you’re taking a stand against bullying and making your voice heard.
Be sure to check www.glaad.org/spiritday tomorrow for more easy ways you can take part in Spirit Day and help take a stand against bullying! You can also download the “Go Purple for #SpiritDay powered by Toyota Financial Services” apps for iPhone and Android. The app provides users with anti-bullying resources, calls to action, and a tool that can turn photos purple and share to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The free app is now available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.
Tweet about your support for Spirit Day:
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