James J. Martin, a leading Catholic theologian and Culture Editor of the Jesuit magazine America, has tweeted his support for Spirit Day. Millions of Americans will be wearing purple on October 19 to speak out against bullying and to show their support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth.
New campaign to end bullying against LGBT youth seeks Catholic support: catholics4spiritday.wordpress.com/2012/10/03/spi…
— James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) October 4, 2012
In his tweet, Martin points to a specific effort to encourage Catholics to participate in Spirit Day, Catholics for #SpiritDay, which is collaborating with GLAAD to encourage Catholics to take the Spirit Day pledge. Martin is probably the most prominent Catholic Spirit Day supporter. Other notable Catholic organizations participating are the Archdiocese of Los Angeles Ministry with Lesbian & Gay Catholics, the Catholic Association for Lesbian and Gay Ministry, DignityUSA, and Fortunate Families.
More and more Catholic parishes are also promoting Spirit Day and encouraging their members to wear purple, including the Church of St. Francis Xavier in New York City and Holy Angles Catholic Community or Orlando.
Martin and these Catholic communities join hundreds of other corporations, national landmarks, schools, local communities and millions of Americans in wearing purple for Spirit Day on October 19, 2012 in a stand against bullying and to show their support for LGBT youth. Hundreds of churches, synagogues and faith gatherings will share sermons and messages that highlight the Spirit Day message of anti-bullying.
In addition to being culture editor at America Magazine, Fr. Martin is a frequent contributor for CNN, NPR, Fox News, Time Magazine, and The New York Times. Fr. Martin also has the distinction of being the "Chaplain to the Colbert Nation" on Comedy Central's Colbert Report. You can see him here discussing God's approval rating.
The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive
GLAAD is counting down the days to October 19, with 19 Days of Action. Follow GLAAD each day to learn how you can participate and make our schools safer for LGBT youth. Catholic, and other religious groups are encouraged to participate in Spirit Day by visiting the Faith Page of the Spirit Day web site.