Britney Spears, the NBA, Major League Baseball, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, Laverne Cox, Sterling K. Brown, Bebe Rexha, Troye Sivan, HBO, cast members from Billions, Charmed, Grey’s Anatomy, How to Get Away with Murder, For the People, Station 19, and

CNBC, MTV, VH1, Logo to change on-air logos to purple and hosts of Access, CNBC, Despierta América, E! News, Entertainment Tonight, Extra, Good Morning America, Live with Kelly and Ryan, The Talk, Un Nuevo Día, and The View to recognize Spirit Day on-air

GLAAD Spirit Day videos feature LGBTQ youth and celebrities speaking out against bullying

New York, NY – GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, today announced initial participants for Spirit Day, the most visible LGBTQ anti-bullying campaign. On Spirit Day, October 18, millions around the world will wear purple or ‘go purple’ online in a stand against bullying and a show support for LGBTQ young people.

For more on Spirit Day: /spiritday, #SpiritDay

GLAAD launched the countdown to Spirit Day with a video of GLAAD Campus Ambassadors speaking out on bullying: https://youtu.be/0DvL3uNjy_0

GLAAD also released videos of celebrities discussing bullying and calling for Spirit Day participation:

Laverne Cox: https://youtu.be/n3fsmUvEMUU

Tyra Banks: https://youtu.be/KWwmPOdS5W8

Kyle Richards: https://youtu.be/zxDPX3oFG1E

Patrick Starrr: https://youtu.be/QtVhGsCSCss

Jay Versace: https://youtu.be/A09KF-1OlPg

WWE Superstar Finn Bálor: https://twitter.com/glaad/status/1050854409297641473

Alyssa Milano: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo6V3vUcFGU&feature=youtu.be

Mj Rodriguez: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_tATQ2E3Ag&feature=youtu.be

Michelle Visage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCUcOrJJH7I&feature=youtu.be

Ross Mathews: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntr7agmKiXo&feature=youtu.be

Kim Petras: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiF5mrJD-SA&feature=youtu.be

Presenting partners Hilton, Target, and Wells Fargo, official partners Johnson & Johnson, the NBA and WNBA, as well as supporting partners Kellogg’s, Barilla, Kirkland & Ellis, and Zipcar will all participate in the anti-bullying campaign.

GLAAD’s initial list of confirmed 2018 Spirit Day participants including celebrity, media, athletes, and landmarks follows.

Networks and platforms including ABC/Disney, CBS, Freeform, HBO, iHeartRadio, NBC, Showtime, and TNT/TBS will participate on social media or through talent. Hulu will present a tray of LGBTQ-inclusive content.

Cast members from Grey’s Anatomy, How to Get Away with Murder, For the People, and Station 19 will participate in Spirit Day.

Additional participants include:

Britney Spears, Laverne Cox, Sterling K. Brown, Stephen Colbert, Tyra Banks, Rosario Dawson, Jimmy Kimmel, Alyssa Milano, Bebe Rexha, Mj Rodriguez, Yara Shahidi, Troye Sivan, casts of the film Boy Erased and The CW’s Charmed, Tiffany Boone, Auli’I Cravalho, Alan Cumming, Dounia, Tiffany Hendra, Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, Kit Hoover, Mila Jam, Lauren Jauregui, Leslie Jordan, Mario Jose, Keltie Knight, Ross Mathews, Tiq Milan, Nancy O’Dell, Jenna Ortega, Natalie Morales, Carole Radziwill, Kyle Richards, Cesar DeLeon Rodriguez, Amiyah Scott, Brandon Stansell, Patrick Starrr, Jacob Tobia, Jay Versace, Michelle Visage, Dana Warrior, and more.

Showtime actors including Kelly Aucoin, Asia Kate Dillon, Toby Leonard Moore, Condola Rashad, and Dan Soder (Billions); Andrew Rannells, Paul Scheer, Kurt Braunohler (Black Monday); Frankie Shaw, Miguel Gomez (Smilf); Judy Greer, Riki LIndhome, Juliocesar Chavez (Kidding); Graham Rogers (Ray Donovan); and Amy Hargreaves (Homeland).

TNT/TBS actors including Taylor Mosby (The Last OG); Sasha Compere (Miracle Workers); Carly Jibson and Dan Beirne (The Guest Book);  the cast and crew of The Detour cast; the cast and crew of Search Party; Judy Reyes and Jenn Lyon (Claws); and the cast and crew of Tell Me Your Secrets.

More names will be announced on Spirit Day, October 18.

Singer Bebe Rexha helped kick off the countdown to Spirit Day when she presented Favorite Artist – Rap/Hop Hop at the American Music Awards last week. Rexha wore a new Spirit Day pin on stage. Photo here: https://www.instagram.com/p/BovFs_8HuY0/

Hosts of Access, Despierta América, E! News, Entertainment Tonight, Extra, Good Morning America, Live with Kelly and Ryan, The Talk, Un Nuevo Día, and The View will also participate by wearing purple on Spirit Day. On-air logos of CNBC, MTV, VH1, and Logo will also turn purple for the day. CNBC hosts around the world will participate and employees will also sport purple.

Sports leagues including Major League Baseball, the NBA and WNBA will share #SpiritDay messages on social media.

WWE Superstars will also go purple including Finn Bálor: /blog/glaad-tags-wwe-spiritday-2018-anti-bullying-campaign-watch-superstar-finn-b%C3%A1lor-take-pledge-go

Landmarks participating in American Eagle Outfitters Times Square, Nasdaq, Thomson Reuters Times Square, Viacom’s 1515 Broadway, Target Plaza South (Minneapolis), and the Wells Fargo Duke Energy Building (Charlotte).

“Spirit Day is a day of national importance that highlights the serious issue of bullying and its disproportionate impact on LGBTQ youth,” said GLAAD CEO & President Sarah Kate Ellis. “It also sends powerful messages of support, letting LGBTQ and other marginalized youth know that they are not alone – something sorely needed in our culture today.”

Coinciding with National Bullying Prevention Month, Spirit Day began in 2010 after a high school student posted the idea to her Tumblr page following the suicide deaths of several LGBTQ and LGBTQ-perceived young people.

According to GLSEN’s most recent National School Climate Survey, 57.6% of LGBTQ students felt unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation and 43.3% because of their gender expression. GLSEN also reported that 85.2% of LGBTQ students experienced verbal harassment (e.g., called names or threatened) at school based on a personal characteristic.

For more information on Spirit Day and how GLAAD accelerates acceptance, visit /spiritday