On October 15, The Empire State left no stone unturned in showing out for LGBTQ youth for #SpiritDay! Celebrities, politicians, sports leagues, schools, landmarks, and more all went purple in the name of putting an end to bullying.
Whether they were visiting Times Square, shopping at The Vessel, or traveling by way of Penn Station, New Yorkers, commuters, and tourists all caught a glimpse of purple on Thursday.
Niagara Falls, Empire State Plaza, the Roosevelt Island Lighthouse, and Kosciuszko Bridge also went purple in celebration of #SpiritDay. The New York Yankees followed suit, observing Spirit Day on their team’s official account.
Meanwhile, New York’s legislators were unapologetic in their denouncement of bullying queer youth. “When you bully, you look corny yourself. You look dumb when you do it, so stop doing it,” said Chi Osse, New York City Council Member.
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Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal chimed in as well, offering a quick history lesson and a call to action:
“The founding of Stonewall was in Manhattan, and it’s just so important that we stand up for our history and stand up for young people. […] LGBTQ rights are not a one day affair, but Spirit Day is one day where we can stand up for each other.”
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Lastly, Speaker Julie Menin of the New York City Council reupped the city’s commitment to protecting LGBTQ people. “It is so important to make sure that we are standing up for LGBTQ youth […] The council has really invested so much funding to support organizations in New York City that are on the ground helping our youth fight back against this hate and bullying. We are certainly so proud to do so.”
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While our city’s representatives and legislators were going on the record in support of young LGBTQ people, GLAAD staff members were on the ground in a different way…cleaning up Washington Square Park!
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In partnership with Washington Square Park Conservatory, GLAAD gloved up, grabbed a rake and some trash cans to make the NYU hot spot sparkle. Later, and just a few blocks over, GLAAD joined students at the Little Red Schoolhouse to close the day by planting some allium bulbs at the historic Little Red Square park.
Like LGBTQ youth when they are seen, heard, and validated, the flowers are expected to bloom into a brilliant purple in the spring!
