The cast of Pretty Little Liars is taking a stand against bullying! Shay Mitchell, Troian Bellisario, and Lucy Hale have recorded a message of support to LGBT youth and will be wearing purple on Thursday, October 16 for Spirit Day.
Shay Mitchell plays lesbian teen Emily on the ABC Family hit series. Along with her friends Aria (Hale), Spencer (Bellisario), and Hanna (Ashley Benson), they try to solve the mystery of "A," someone who has blackmailed them for years and is threatening to spill their secrets. Over the years, Emily has had several girlfriends, most recently she has been in an on-and-off relationship with fellow student Paige. The series has received several GLAAD Media Awards nominations through its run.
The casts of The Fosters, Baby Daddy, Chasing Life, and Melissa & Joey already went purple during the past week! Additionally, the network's series will go purple on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for Spirit Day this Thursday.
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.