Credit: GLAAD

Students and faculty in schools all across the nation are going purple for Spirit Day 2019, the world’s largest and most visible LGBTQ+ anti-bullying media campaign.

School faculty, high school GSAs, and universities alike all showed their solidarity in standing against LGBTQ+ bullying. Checkout what some schools have been posting about Spirit Day 2019 for a #SpiritDay 2019 highlight:

Thursday, October 17th is #SpiritDay !

Wear purple in solidarity with LGBTQ+ youth and take a stand against bullying. pic.twitter.com/SxVkhvSSZn

— MSU GenCen (@MSUGenCen) October 14, 2019

Today on #SpiritDay and everyday, we celebrate #RCNJpride. Thanks to all who made yesterday’s third annual Pridefest a wonderful day! pic.twitter.com/rPQYNvmN9w

— Ramapo College (@RamapoCollegeNJ) October 17, 2019

Spirit Day 2019! We wear purple because we are against bullying! #spiritday2019 #lgbtqYOUTH #lovewins #noplaceforhate #mjjwearspurple #spiritday @CarstarphenMJ @APSMHJHSJaguars @NPFH_Southeast @glaad pic.twitter.com/eIqYAp73lP

— Maynard Jackson_GSA (@MJHS_GSA) October 17, 2019

#FCS54 staff recognizes #SpiritDay!#RCSDonefamily #RCSDroctogether #RCSDny pic.twitter.com/LvRZ3BzIoR

— Flower City School No. 54 (@RCSDsch54) October 17, 2019

 

 

 

 

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#SpiritDay

A post shared by UTD Gender Center (@utd_gender_center) on Oct 17, 2019 at 9:51am PDT

The BAC is wearing purple with PRIDE to stand up against bullying! #SpiritDay #LGBTQyouth #BACbuzz pic.twitter.com/8EtIA3UbFz

— The Boston Architectural College (@TheBACBoston) October 17, 2019

 

 

 

 

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Warriors wearing Purple to support our LGBTQ+ community #GLAAD #spiritday #yvhs

A post shared by Ygnacio Valley High (@ygnacio_valley) on Oct 17, 2019 at 5:44pm PDT

Spirit Day 2019! We wear purple because we are against bullying! #spiritday2019 #lgbtqYOUTH #lovewins #noplaceforhate #mjjwearspurple #spiritday @CarstarphenMJ @APSMHJHSJaguars @NPFH_Southeast @glaad pic.twitter.com/xyUjQIs310

— Maynard Jackson_GSA (@MJHS_GSA) October 17, 2019

In honor of Spirit Day today, we wore purple to support LGBTQ youth and to take a stand against bullying

#SpiritDay #WVU #LawSchoolLife #OneWVU pic.twitter.com/flrIKppaN0

— WVU College of Law (@wvulaw) October 17, 2019

Clubs and schools weren’t the only ones talking about Spirit Day. Many are using #SpiritDay to share their own struggles and share words of affirmation:

Our founding tradition of Social Justice is as strong today as it was 1964. #myMCNY students representing in purple in support of #spiritday.
GLAAD Spirit Day is in support of LGBTQ+ youth and speaking out against bullying in our schools. pic.twitter.com/ehFIk20tdL

— MCNY ALUMNI (@MCNYalumni) October 17, 2019

When students lead GSAs, LGBTQ students report feeling safer, they experience less harassment, and they are less likely to skip school. #SpiritDay invites all to show up in support of the anti-bullying work LGBTQ and allied students are already leading! pic.twitter.com/LciZ1TQJOM

— Iowa Safe Schools (@iowasafeschools) October 17, 2019

 

 

 

 

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Be brave, be kind, be You #SpiritDay

A post shared by Luis Reiter (@bailaconluis) on Oct 17, 2019 at 4:51pm PDT

Today is #SpiritDay which is a day about LGBTQ+ bullying
I have been harassed for being gay in school and called queer but I’m still here.
No matter what, I’ll always be me.
I’ll always have my friends.
I’ll always have my community.

YOU are valid no matter what people say !

— Raggamuffin (@SamuDepresso) October 17, 2019

 

 

 

 

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To all the younger kids who come across my profile: It took me a few years to get to this point. I remember being 16/17, hiding in my room where the internet was the only place I found community. It soon became the only place where I found representation. – – – As I grew older I began to see, meet and even become someone I admired. – – – I live as openly as I possibly can because in 2017 (which is actually the year I graduated high school) surveys showed that LGBTQ+ students ages 13-21 in Florida: •experienced verbal harassment (82%) •heard gay used in a negative or derogatory way (96%) •heard homophobic remarks and slurs regularly at school (92%) •regularly heard other students in their school make negative remarks about how someone expressed their gender (87%) •regularly heard school staff make negative remarks about someone’s gender expression (27%) •regularly heard school staff make homophobic remarks (22%) •were sexually harassed (70%) – – – Now while I constantly preach “keep holding out” I don’t want to say that anymore. I don’t want to live in a world where children and teens have to routinely suffer because they’re LGBTQ+ or any type of different until they get to high school or even college before people realize they’re being ignorant and/or hateful. – – – I don’t want to have to say “we need to protect LGBTQ+ kids” and have someone who has the audacity to say “we want to protect all kids”. If you’re not protecting kids who are LGBTQ+, black/brown, who are just “different” because of something they can’t change then you automatically fail to protect all the children you claim to care for. – – – On this Spirit Day, I not only express how happy I am that I survived the trials I’ve faced over the years but that I will continue to use my own narrative to explain why the kids coming up after me need the protections that I didn’t have when I was in their shoes. – – – I hope one day I won’t have to say “please keep going” or “keep holding on” because I’m tired of seeing LGBTQ+ youth be hurt or mistreated for who they are.

A post shared by Kam (@flower_boi23) on Oct 17, 2019 at 4:17pm PDT

Happy #SpiritDay to my fellow LGBT+ people! Bullying isn’t cool, funny or fun. It can seriously damage a person’s lifestyle.
Being bullied my whole life for being myself has made me more heartless but I still care about others. I’m still me! pic.twitter.com/bmycyyGyqr

— Ghiaccio Donovan (@GhiaccioFrame) October 17, 2019

I was bullied severely in school for being gay and even had people in my dms telling me to kill myself and the school did nothing… it’s 2019 schools need to support their lgbtq+ students #Itgetsbetter #SpiritDay

— sir this is a wendys (@KobieBuschmann) October 17, 2019

Additionally, Hollywood’s young stars showed their support for their peers:

Raise your hand in the comments below if you have been bullied for being your authentic self. Why? It’s #SpiritDay! Ever since I came out as transgender, I have been bullied for being my true self. Post a photo in purple today to take a stand against bullying of LGBTQ+ Youth. pic.twitter.com/bf0CLhvlO7

— Jazz Jennings (@JazzJennings__) October 17, 2019

join the cast of #grownish and @glaad to go purple and take a stand against bullying for #spiritday. stand up for LGBTQ+ youth and #choosekindness. pic.twitter.com/8g7sH9u26G

— grown-ish (@grownish) October 17, 2019

Forever standing by my LGBTQ family because we all deserve to be unapologetically ourselves without fear of bullying or retaliation. #SpiritDay pic.twitter.com/1NRbljinbH

— Isabella Gomez (@Isabella_Gomez) October 17, 2019

 

 

 

 

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#spiritday

A post shared by Iain Armitage (@iain) on Oct 17, 2019 at 2:47pm PDT

 

 

 

 

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Today we wear purple for #spiritday and take a stand against bullying! Stand up for LGBTQ+ youth and BE AN ALLY! #BeKind #BeAnAlly #ChooseKindness

A post shared by Tyler Wladis (@tylerwladis) on Oct 17, 2019 at 5:13pm PDT

 

 

 

 

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Taking a stand with one of my faves and the best tv mom around @iamkimrie @glaad #choosekindness #spiritday #stopbullying #stophate #bekind #equality #nohate

A post shared by Devin Trey Campbell (@devintrey08) on Oct 17, 2019 at 4:41pm PDT

 

 

 

 

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Go purple and take a stand against bullying for #SpiritDay! Stand up for LGBTQ+ youth and #ChooseKindness. #freeform #sptv #disney #partyoffive #partyoffivetv #elleparislegaspi #babyelle

A post shared by | Baby Elle (@elleparislegaspi) on Oct 17, 2019 at 5:15pm PDT

About Spirit Day

Each year, millions go purple for GLAAD’s Spirit Day to support LGBTQ youth in a united stand against bullying. Started in 2010 by high school student Brittany McMillan in response to numerous young LGBTQ lives lost to suicide, Spirit Day now draws the participation of celebrities, schools, faith institutions, national landmarks, corporations, media outlets, sports leagues, and advocates around the world, all joining together to stand against bullying and support LGBTQ youth.

Presenting partners Pantene and Target, official partners Kellogg’s and the NBA and WNBA, and community partners Amazon, Johnson & Johnson, Kirkland & Ellis, and Wells Fargo will all participate in the anti-bullying campaign. As anti-LGBTQ policies, hate crimes, and harassment are on the rise, it is now especially important to let all marginalized youth know they are supported.

This year, Spirit Day is on October 17, 2019. Take the Spirit Day pledge to show LGBTQ youth you’ve got their backs at glaad.org/spiritday. Follow @GLAAD on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to keep up to date with #SpiritDay news.