LAVERNE COX TO LIGHT NEW YORK’S ICONIC EMPIRE STATE BUILDING IN PURPLE TO SUPPORT LGBTQ YOUTH ON GLAAD’s #SPIRITDAY

 JOJO SIWA, STERLING K. BROWN, MAREN MORRIS, SASHA COLBY, KARAMO, HEIDI KLUM, JEOPARDY! CHAMPION AMY SCHNEIDER, MARCIA GAY HARDEN, PAUL FEIG, NICK CARTER, SHINJIRO ATAE, MEREDITH MARKS, SOFIA VERGARA AND MORE TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR LGBTQ YOUTH ON #SPIRITDAY

FRANKIE GRANDE TO HOST 5TH ANNUAL #SPIRITDAY CONCERT LIVE IN LOS ANGELES FEATURING LAUREN JAUREGUI, VINCINT, THE SCARLET OPERA AND WAYNE BRADY ON THE EVE OF SPIRIT DAY

GLAAD TO RELEASE ITS FIRST ‘SPIRIT DAY INDEX’ WHICH QUANTIFIES THE IMPACT OF EMPOWERING LGBTQ YOUTH AS ANTI-LGBTQ RHETORIC, LEGISLATION AND VIOLENCE GROWS 

AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, THE UNITED NATIONS, ABC NETWORK, CNBC, COMCAST NBCUNIVERSAL, THE NFL NETWORK, IHEARTMEDIA, HERE LIES LOVE ON BROADWAY AND MORE TO TAKE PART IN GLAAD’S #SPIRITDAY ON OCTOBER 19

New York, NY, October 16, 2023 – Today, GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, announced participants going purple and taking the pledge for #SpiritDay, in a united stand against bullying and show of support for LGBTQ youth on Thursday, October 19. Since the inaugural #SpiritDay in 2010, GLAAD organizes hundreds of 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 and united show of support for LGBTQ youth. Purple symbolizes spirit on the rainbow flag. For more information visit glaad.org/spiritday and follow #SpiritDay on social media.

In partnership with Sally Hansen, Emmy nominated actress and prominent equal rights advocate Laverne Cox will light up the Empire State Building purple Wednesday, October 18, on the eve of #SpiritDay, October 19th, to support LGBTQ youth and take the pledge against bullying. Laverne Cox is the first openly transgender person to appear on the covers of TIME Magazine, British Vogue, Cosmopolitan Magazine, and Essence Magazine, among others. Laverne also proudly holds two SAG Awards, winning them with her Orange Is the New Black castmates for ‘Outstanding Performance by Ensembles in a Comedy Series.’ Other accolades include a Critic’s Choice nomination for “Best Supporting Actress,” consecutive NAACP Image Award nominations for “Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy-Series,” and was honored with GLAAD’s Stephen F. Kolzak Award at the 25th GLAAD Media Awards in 2014.

GLAAD Board Member, Frankie Grande, hosts the fifth annual #SpiritDay Concert, taking place on Wednesday, October 18, will spotlight some of the music industry’s top performers and emerging queer intersectional artists who are revolutionizing the industry. Powered by Live Nation and The Recording Academy, the annual GLAAD tradition opens to the public for the first time and features performances from Lauren Jauregui, VINCINT, The Scarlet Opera, Wayne Brady and more. Hyundai is a Major sponsor of the concert, and M&M’s returns as an Official sponsor. Proceeds from this historic live music event will amplify GLAAD’s mission to accelerate acceptance and give LGBTQ youth, their parents, educators, allies and more an opportunity to see what’s possible when we lead with acceptance. Tickets are available HERE.

For the first time, GLAAD will be releasing a Spirit Day Index. This new range of data will show the impact everyday people can have on the lives of LGBTQ youth by supporting days like #SpiritDay. The research was conducted by Ipsos through their KnowledgePanel, which is the oldest and largest probability-based online panel in the U.S., with about 60,000 members. GLAAD’s Spirit Day Index will release on Thursday, October 19th. To receive an embargoed copy of the report, please respond to request the data and that you will adhere to the embargo agreement.

Celebrities and influential voices, Amy Schneider, Aria Brooks, Blue Hamilton, Brandon Thompson, Brandy Clark, Brooke Eden, Brooklynne Webb, Calum Scott, Christopher Gorham, EMELINE, Erin Andrews, Heidi Klum, Ian Paget, Idina Menzel, Isaac Dubar, Jaymes Vaughan, Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, Jessica Carter Altman, JoJo Siwa, Jonathan Bennett, Kaila Novak, Karamo, Kristin Cavallari, Lisa Edelstein, Mädchen Amick, Marcia Gay Harden, Mark Kanemura, Maren Morris, Matt Dallas, Matt Iseman, Matty Maggiacomo, Mayim Bialik, Meredith Marks, Michael D. Cohen, Nick Carter, Paul Feig, Rachel Bloom, Rebecca Zamolo, Reagan To, Ryan Michelle Bathé, Sasha Colby, Scott Turner Schofield, Shinjiro Atae, Sofia Vergara, Sterling K. Brown, The Scarlet Opera, Travis Shumake, Ty Herndon, UMI, Wayne Brady, among others are confirmed to participate in #SpiritDay 2023.

Faith leaders Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons, Brandan Robertson, Father James Martin, and Bishops Megan Rohrer, Brenda Bos, among others, will also participate in the world’s largest and most visible LGBTQ anti-bullying campaign.

Several studios, networks, shows, streaming services, landmarks, sports leagues, and organizations are confirmed to take part in the world’s largest and most visible LGBTQ anti-bullying campaign:

• Companies and organizations including the United Nations, The Academy of Country Music, American Library Association, American Federation of Teachers, United Against Book Bans, Little Bee Books, Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC, The Choose Kindness Project and more will go purple in support of LGBTQ youth for #SpiritDay.
• Major sports leagues including the NFL, the NBA and WNBA, are community sponsors of #SpiritDay this year and will take part in the anti-bullying campaign alongside other major sports leagues and professional sports teams across the country.
• NBCUniversal: CNBC’s logo will also go purple on-air and online in support of LGBTQ youth. In addition, NBC News, MSNBC, CNBC, and NBC News NOW, Peacock, NBCU Entertainment – including NBC, Bravo, E!, Syfy, Oxygen True Crime and USA – and Universal Studio Group – Universal Television, UCP, Universal Television Alternative Studio and Universal International Studios – will participate in taking a stand against bullying on #SpiritDay.
• Disney Entertainment Television’s portfolio of brands will take part in #SpiritDay to take a stand against bullying.
• Paramount: Casts from shows across Paramount brands will also participate.
• For a seventh consecutive year, iHeartMedia will participate in #SpiritDay by airing PSA spots in support of LGBTQ youth across its radio stations nationwide.
• Spanish-language celebrities, networks, shows, and streaming services set to participate in #SpiritDay includes Ana Maria Polo, Luis Sandoval, Curly Velasquez, The Q Agenda, Pantaya and programming across Telemundo and TelevisaUnivision including, Despierta América, Primer Impacto, El Gordo y la Flaca.
• On Broadway, the companies of Shucked, Here Lies Love, and Sweeney Todd will participate in #SpiritDay with Here Lies Love dedicating a post-curtain DJ set by Griffin Maxwell Brooks and dance party,fully devoted to #SpiritDayand GLAAD’s work to support LGBTQ youth.
• LGBTQ advocacy organizations, Gay Men’s Health Crisis, The GenderCool Project, GLSEN, The Human Rights Campaign, The Trevor Project, +Life, National Center for Lesbian Rights, The Los Angeles LGBT Center, PFLAG, Pride Live and The Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center will take part in #SpiritDay, along with the GSA Network and GSA student groups activating across the country.
• Faith organizations such as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, United Church of Christ, Beloved Arise, The Naming Project, Keshet, Yass, Jesus!, Outreach Faith: A Catholic Resource, Yuval David, Bishop Kevin Strickland, Wonderfully Made: LGBTQ+R(eligion), will take part in #SpiritDay.
• International organizations including the United Nations, China Rainbow Media Awards, Diversity (Italy), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico and Mexican consulates in the U.S. & abroad, J-Pop star Shinjiro Atae, Marriage for all Japan, NHK Cosmomedia America, students at Christian Brothers College, will go purple for #SpiritDay.

#SpiritDay sponsors this year include: Sally Hansen, along with community sponsors Kirkland & Ellis, the NFL, the NBA, the WNBA, Skittles and the New York City Department of Youth & Community Development. The 5th Annual #SpiritDay concert is powered by Live Nation and The Recording Academy, alongside major sponsors Hyundai and official sponsor, M&M’s.

Previous #SpiritDay participants include the Obama White House, President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, the Empire State Building, Oprah Winfrey, Sec. Hillary Clinton, Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, Kerry Washington, Halle Berry, Laverne Cox, Celine Dion, Shaquille O’Neal, Sam Smith, Jimmy Kimmel, Troye Sivan, Good Morning America, The TODAY Show, The View, The Talk, The Tonight Show, the NBA and WNBA, all Major League Baseball teams, NASCAR, WWE, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, the Las Vegas Strip, and many more.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE 2023 #SPIRITDAY SOCIAL MEDIA KIT

Please credit GLAAD for use across editorial use where possible

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 #SpiritDay.

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.

GLAAD’s 2023 Social Media Safety Index found severe harassment for LGBTQ users when compared to 2022 and found that all five major social media platforms continue to fail on LGBTQ safety. This anti-LGBTQ rhetoric then translates to real-life harm and has been cited as drivers of many of the more than 500 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced in states around the country this year alone, many of which target our LGBTQ youth.

Take the #SpiritDay Pledge to show LGBTQ youth you’ve got their backs at glaad.org/spiritday.

For more information on #SpiritDay, visit glaad.org/spiritday and follow @GLAAD on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to keep up to date with #SpiritDay news.