Spirit Day is the world’s largest LGBTQ anti-bullying campaign, observed globally by celebrities, media outlets, brands, landmarks, sports leagues, faith groups, school districts, organizations, colleges and universities. The objective is to get as many of these groups as possible to “go purple” on the last Thursday to October to show their support for LGBTQ youth, especially trans and nonbinary youth. Additionally, Spirit Day seeks to contextualize to state of hate against queer youth, including stressors like book bans, bans on trans youth in sports, and bathroom restrictions, so that allies can fight back more effectively against bullying at all levels, including legislational.
GLAAD executes a robust outreach strategy, spanning from nonprofit partners, schools, celebrity talent, Spanish-language media leaders, press, landmarks and more to ensure a wave of purple is seen worldwide, sending a message of love and support to LGBTQ youth everywhere.
Spirit Day messaging features reports and surveys (GLSEN’s National School Climate Survey, GLAAD’s 2022 Social Media Safety Index, et al.) with data that illustrates the real threats against LGBTQ youth, including stats on anti-trans bills in the US., social media safety policies for LGBTQ users, and harassment at school.
As one of GLAAD’s top flagship campaigns Spirit Day conversations happen year-round with our corporate partners, whether new or ongoing. GLAAD assists our partners in finding ways for Spirit Day to align with internal company policy, structure and culture. GLAAD also provides resources and one pagers, including an anti-bullying resource kit to engage employees and ensure everyone participates.
