This year for Spirit Day, professional athletes, sports teams, and organizations came together to support LGBTQ youth and stand up against bullying. See posts below from the NFL, MLB, NBA and more reminding the world that sports are for everyone:
National Football League
Wear purple, take the pledge, download resources and spread the word. @GLAAD #SpiritDay pic.twitter.com/JHcCC9wVyB
— NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2022
American Hockey League
We’ve gone purple for @glaad #SpiritDay! #ChooseKindness and join us as we stand with our friends @YouCanPlayTeam in support of LGBTQ+ youth.
Take the pledge against bullying and learn more about Spirit Day here https://t.co/dj7mkRfZlL pic.twitter.com/1OGwGJkmJT
— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) October 20, 2022
National Hockey League
Wear purple today and join us in supporting LGBTQ youth by taking @glaad‘s #SpiritDay pledge against bullying. #HockeyIsForEveryone pic.twitter.com/sTvyLCq1RC
— NHL (@NHL) October 20, 2022
Little League
Stand against bullying and in support of inclusion for LGBTQ+ youth. #SpiritDay | #OneTeamOneLittleLeague pic.twitter.com/pgMz3ti28b
— Little League (@LittleLeague) October 20, 2022
MLB
Take a stand against bullying. No child should be mistreated for being who they are.
We proudly stand in support of LGBTQ youth. #SpiritDay pic.twitter.com/5kbfVYSDri— MLB (@MLB) October 20, 2022
WNBA
— WNBA (@WNBA) October 20, 2022
NBA Cares
Take a stand against bullying and support #LGBTQ
youth by going purple for #SpiritDay on Oct. 20: https://t.co/XO0SrjkExv pic.twitter.com/nGEkW5iwdF— NBA Cares (@nbacares) October 20, 2022
About #SpiritDay
About #SpiritDay
GLAAD organizes celebrities, media outlets, brands, landmarks, sports leagues, faith groups, school districts, organizations, colleges and universities in what has become the most visible anti-LGBTQ bullying campaign in the world. Purple symbolizes spirit on the rainbow flag.
The annual tradition was started in 2010 by GLAAD and then high school student Brittany McMillan, in memory of the LGBTQ youth who died by suicide. McMillan encouraged her friends to wear purple on a day in October — a day that came to be known as Spirit Day.
Today, LGBTQ youth, and especially trans and nonbinary youth, are experiencing a level of scrutiny in schools we have never seen, leading to an environment rife with stressors beyond the peer-to-peer bullying of the past. From book bans, to bans on trans youth in sports, to bathroom restrictions and teachers barred from using correct pronouns, the means by which a student can express themselves and see others like them are increasingly being challenged.
GLSEN’s National School Climate Survey, released earlier this week, reported nearly 82% of LGBTQ students feel unsafe in school. 76% experienced in-person verbal harassment (e.g., called names or threatened) and 31% were physically harassed. Earlier this year, The Trevor Project reported 85% of transgender and nonbinary youth say that recent debates around anti-trans bills have negatively impacted their mental health.
GLAAD’s 2022 Social Media Safety Index found severe harassment for LGBTQ users when compared to 2021. This anti-LGBTQ rhetoric translates to real-life harm and has been cited as drivers of many of the over 300 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced in states around the country this year alone, many of which target LGBTQ young people.
Take the Spirit Day pledge to show LGBTQ youth you’ve got their backs at glaad.org/spiritday.
For more information on Spirit Day, visit glaad.org/spiritday and follow @GLAAD on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to keep up to date with #SpiritDay news.
About GLAAD
GLAAD rewrites the script for LGBTQ acceptance. As a dynamic media force, GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change. GLAAD protects all that has been accomplished and creates a world where everyone can live the life they love. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org or connect with GLAAD on Facebook and Twitter.