Viacom

Viacom’s channels and talent are once again in full Spirit Day mode as part of its commitment to LGBTQ equality and Viacom’s long legacy of pioneering LGBTQ media images! VH1, Logo, MTV, MTV2, CMT, Spike, Paramount and Viacom International are all purple on air and online to take a stand against bullying and support LGBTQ youth.

Additionally, Viacom’s 1515 Broadway headquarters will be illuminated in purple for Spirit Day and will play a Spirit Day video for the Times Square crowds to see. Plus Viacom is highlighting Spirit Day today during its companywide Social Impact Fair.

Go purple NOW to take a stand against bullying and support LGBTQ youth for #SpiritDay! t.co/OD4qOLqMkP pic.twitter.com/8drehOtO2s

— VH1 (@VH1) October 20, 2016

Logo has taken a leading role in working with GLAAD to spread Spirit Day’s message of acceptance around the world this year.  Logo’s Global Ally campaign is a sponsor of Spirit Day’s international efforts, including the Spirit Day Kit in six different languages and has been sharing photos of LGBTQ activists from countries including Sri Lanka, Uganda, and Jamaica on Facebook and Twitter.

Happy #SpiritDay! Be a #GlobalAlly & join @GLAAD & our friends @_EQUALGROUND_ in Sri Lanka by wearing purple to stand up to LGBT bullying! pic.twitter.com/LpEBq2aZg9

— Global Ally (@Global_Ally) October 20, 2016

The network will also air spots about Spirit Day throughout the day and the New York and Los Angeles staff posed for a Spirit Day shot.

The reigning winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, Alaska, posed for a fierce purple shot and joined Drag Race judges Michelle Visage and Carson Kressley as well as fan favorites like Pandora Boxx and Darienne Lake. Raymond Braun, Logo’s election correspondent is also purple today. Plus Lance Bass, the host of Logo’s Finding Prince Charming, donned purple on The Wendy Williams Show and so did the show’s bachelor Robert Sepulveda and many suitors including Brandon, Sam and Brodney.  

It’s #SpiritDay! Wear your best purple outfit to join us & @Alaska5000 to support LGBTQ youth & stand up against bullying! #EverybodySayLove pic.twitter.com/m88wrkMIP0

— RuPaul’s Drag Race (@RuPaulsDragRace) October 20, 2016

Today and everyday I stand with the LGBTQ+ community and today is #spiritday. Wear purple and… t.co/oMXC0XsTIY

— michelle visage (@michellevisage) October 20, 2016

MTV News’ Ana Marie Cox and Jamil Smith reported in purple today and joined cast members of Teen Mom, Holland Roden from MTV’s Teen Wolf, Scout Durwood from MTV’s Mary + Jane, plus Anna Lore, Rip Michaels, David Magidoff, Burpie, and Tonio Skits from MTV2 shows Wild ‘n Out. MTV, MTV2, MTV News plus the network’s Look Different and Elect This campaigns are purple on-air and across social media, reaching over 50 million followers on Twitter and Facebook alone.

VH1 is purple on-air and on social media. Spike and its shows Lip Sync Battle, Bar Rescue, Ink Master and Spike Sports are all purple on social. CMT is also sharing #SpiritDay messages throughout the day and Viacom International posted about Spirit Day on MTV’s UK site.

We’re going purple for #SpiritDay!

Visit t.co/C9zhpjTDnO to go purple and show your support for LGBTQ youth.

— Lip Sync Battle (@SpikeLSB) October 20, 2016

And this year Viacom is going the extra mile to extend Spirit Day’s message beyond today. Paramount will be donating anti-bullying books to partner middle and high schools.

Viacom channels Logo and MTV have participated in Spirit Day every year since its inception. Each year, millions of people “go purple” for Spirit Day in a united stand against bullying and to show support for LGBTQ youth. According to a 2015 GLSEN survey, more than half of LGBTQ students report being victimized based on sexual orientation, with a further three quarters of students who report hearing anti-LGBTQ remarks in school. Started in 2010 by high school student Brittany McMillan, Spirit Day now draws the participation of celebrities, corporations, media outlets, sports leagues, schools, faith institutions, national landmarks, and individuals around the world, who join together in a united stand against bullying.

Check out glaad.org/spiritday for more about how to stand against bullying and show support for LGBTQ youth. Also follow @GLAAD on Twitter to keep up to date with #spiritday news.Spirit Day is made possible by the generous support of its presenting partners Target and Wells Fargo, official partners, NBA and WNBA, NFL, Viacom, and WWE, and supporting partners, American Eagle Outfitters, Barilla, Comcast NBCUniversal, Kellogg’s, Kirkland & Ellis, Toyota Financial Services, and Zipcar.

Past participants in Spirit Day include the White House, the Empire State Building, Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, Cher, Laverne Cox, Kim Kardashian, Demi Lovato, Ariana Grande, Shaquille O’Neal, Good Morning America, The Today Show, The View, The Talk, The Tonight Show, MTV, the NBA, the NFL, Major League Baseball, NASCAR, WWE, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, the Las Vegas Strip, and more.