Spirit Day 2017

Today is Spirit Day, the day created by Canadian teen Brittany McMillian in 2010 as a high school student in conjunction with GLAAD as a response to a wave of highly publicized suicides involving TBLGQ students, including Tyler Clementi's at Rutgers.

It was named Spirit Day in honor of the purple stripe on the Gilbert Baker designed rainbow flag, in which the purple stripe represents 'spirit'.  People are also encouraged to wear purple clothing on this day in order to express visible support for TBLGQ youth during National Bullying Prevention Month.

According to a GLSEN study, 8 out of 10 TBLGQ students has reported being bullied or harassed.

Originally celebrated on October 20 in 2010-11 and October 19 in 2012, it has been since 2013 now celebrated on the third Thursday in October

And we need this Spirit Day now more than ever.  With an openly hostile federal administration and attorney general hell bent on discriminating against TBLGQ people, the bullies are taking their cues from the alleged grownups and attacking our kids. 

Trans feminine high school student Kylie Perez was recently assaulted by four kids in the halls of East Side HS in Newark, New Jersey.  The four students caught on the school's security cameras taking part in assaulting Perez and the three who did nothing but videotape it on their cell phones have been suspended.



To her credit, Kylie is not going to let this quietly fade away, she is speaking up about it. /

Across the Hudson River is an example of what can happen if bullying isn't address and stamped out by school,administrators.  18 year old bisexual student Abel Cedeno is facing manslaughter charges for fatally stabbing on September 27 one of his tormentors and wounding another one after enduring repeated bullying and anti-BTLGQ slurs aimed at him. 

So yes, show your support for our kids on this Spirit Day by breaking out your purple clothes, and doing what you can to help stem the tide of bullying  on th   

It's Spirit Day 2016!

Today is Spirit Day,    It's the day created by Canadian teen Brittany McMillan to wear purple in support of our TBLGQ youth who are being bullied in school settings

WE wear purple to denote our support for our BTLGQ younglings on this day, but the best way to support them will be to kick out all legislators like Dan Patrick, Ken Paxton and Pat McCrory who are demonizing our kids for their selfish political gain

Translation, vote the GOP legislative bullies out of office on November 8 or sooner if your state has early voting.

That's the first  and most important action step step to creating a world in which LGBTQ youth are respected, protected, and it is made clear to friend, foe and frenemy that their human rights are not to be messed with.

It's Spirit Day 2015!

Today is Spirit Day, which has been celebrated since 2010 and is a day in which we take a stand against bullying of TBLG youth.

On the LGBT rainbow flag, the purple stripe on it represents 'spirit'    On this day individuals, schools, corporations, and public figures wear purple clothing in support of this day and our trans, bisexual, lesbian and gay youth.

We have had far too many of our younglings commit suicide this year, and something must be done to crack down on the bullying that feeds into these LGBT youth suicides.

And to our trans, bisexual, lesbian, gay and questioning youth, know that you are loved by me and all your BTLGQ elders, we want to you dream your dreams, live your lives and be the fabulous adults we know beyond a shadow of a doubt you will become.

So break out the purple clothes today in solidarity with our BTLG young people.for #SpiritDay.

It's Spirit Day 2014!

Today is Spirit Day, the annual day since 2010 in which we wear purple to denote support of TBLG kids who are being bullied for who they are. 

It sprang from an idea advance by Canadian teen Brittany McMillan in the wake of a wave of LGBT suicides in 2010 that in large part were triggered by bullying, with the big media attention name in that wave of suicides being Rutgers student Tyler Clementi.

The reason we wear purple is because of the purple stripe on the Gilbert Baker created  rainbow flag, in which the purple stripe on it represents spirit.

The first Spirit Day was celebrated on October, 20, 2010 but has now been moved to one thta is celebrated every October 16.

And since I was one of those kids back in the day who was on the receiving end of bullyingin elementary school , it's a day and a cause that resonates with me.

So join me in finding a nice purple outfit to wear today and catching the spirit of Spirit Day.  

It's past time to end bullying not only of our LGBT kids, but the scourge of bullying period.

Laverne's Reminder For You To Go Purple For Tomorrow's Spirit Day

Laverne took a break from filming Season 3 of Orange Is The New Black to remind you peeps about tomorrow's Spirit Day

So what is Spirit Day?   On October 16 we take time to wear purple to show solidarity with LGBT youth and take a united stand against bullying.   It was a proposed idea by Canadian teenager Brittany McMillan which was celebrated for the first time on October 20, 2010

Spirit Day takes its name from the purple stripe of the Gilbert Baker created rainbow flag, which represents spirit, hence the name for the day..

The day was a response to a 2010 outbreak of bullying related suicides of gay student, including Rutgers student Tyler Clementi

And yep, it has it's own #spiritday  hashtag

So here's Laverne's video, and break out those purple outfits tomorrow.