In honor of Spirit Day, GLAAD has created an anti-bullying public service announcement (PSA) that will run before every episode of AOL Originals' True Trans with Laura Jane Grace, which premiered today.
True Trans with Laura Jane Grace, punk rock lead singer of Against Me! and transgender woman, is a reality series that amplifies the experiences of people who are transgender with episodes less than ten minutes long. You can check out the first four episodes and three bonus videos here, and watch the trailer below:
GLAAD first worked with Laura Jane Grace when she prepared to come out as her authentic self to Rolling Stone in 2012. While opening up about her transgender identity preceded struggles with fellow band members, Against Me! came back strong with its critically acclaimed 2014 album, Transgender Dysphoria Blues. True Trans is a new outlet for Laura Jane Grace and additional members of the trans community to build understanding and raise awareness by telling their truth to the public.
AOL Originals generously donated the ad space to take a stand against bullying, an epidemic that many young people, particularly LGBT youth, confront regularly. According to GLSEN's 2011 National School Climate Survey, 63.5% of LGBT students reported feeling unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation and 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.
In bringing visibility to the issue, AOL Originals demonstrates a clear dedication to building safe and supportive environments for all young people. AOL Originals is among an ever-growing list of leading media outlets and corporations that knows equality is a positive, productive investment.
Get the first look at GLAAD's "Stand Up to Bullying for #spiritday" video, featuring youth telling their stories, as well as GLAAD's President & CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis:
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. Each year, Spirit Day draws the participation of celebrities, corporations, media outlets, sports leagues, schools, faith institutions, national landmarks, and individuals. Spirit Day is made possible by the generous support of its national partners PepsiCo and Wells Fargo, as well as official partners Comcast-NBCUniversal and Google, and supporting partner American Eagle Outfitters.
It's not too late to take the Spirit Day pledge. Check out glaad.org/spiritday for more about how to stand against anti-LGBT bullying.