Chasing Life's Italia Ricci, Haley Ramm and Aisha Dee will be wearing purple for Spirit Day on October 16. The cast members recorded a video to encourage fans to join them in a stand of support for LGBT youth.
The ABC Family series, which premiered last summer and will be coming back for a holiday episode in December, follows April (Ricci), a young ambitious journalist who is balancing her work and love life when she receives news that she has Leukemia. April has the support of her family and her best friend Beth (Dee). In the first season, April's younger sister Brenna (Ramm) falls in love with one of her friends and starts to explore her attraction to boys and girls. Take a look at the three stars' messages to LGBT youth.
Italia Ricci:
Haley Ramm:
Aisha Dee:
Yesterday the cast of Baby Daddy went purple and more casts from ABC Family's original series will join them in coming days. Additionally, the network's series will go purple on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for Spirit Day.
Millions wear purple on Spirit Day as a sign of support for LGBT youth and to speak out against bullying. Spirit Day was started in 2010 as a response to the young people who had taken their own lives. With GLAAD’s help, Spirit Day has since garnered widespread support from celebrities, TV news and entertainment programs, corporations, organizations, schools, local communities, and even national landmarks. Spirit Day coincides with GLSEN’s Ally Week, as well as National Bullying Prevention Month.
According to GLSEN's 2011 National School Climate Survey, 63.5% of LGBT students reported feeling unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation, 43.9% because of their gender expression. GLSEN also reported that 81.9% of LGBT students report being verbally harassed because of their sexual orientation, and 63.9% because of their gender expression.
GLAAD, GLSEN and Pacer’s National Bullying Prevention Center are partnering with the Disney ABC Television Group for the Choose Kindness campaign. For National Bullying Prevention month Disney's Be Inspired website will include resources for children, teens, and parents about how to prevent bullying.
Spirit Day, which will take place on October 16, inspires millions to wear purple or ‘go purple’ online in a united stand against bullying and to show their support for LGBT youth.
For more information and ways to participate, visit the Spirit Day page.