WHITE HOUSE JOINS GLAAD, CELEBRITIES, CORPORATIONS, LANDMARKS AND MILLIONS OF AMERICANS IN ‘GOING PURPLE’ TO SUPPORT LGBT YOUTH ON SPIRIT DAY, OCTOBER 20

New York, NY, October 20, 2011 – Today, the White House joined the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), celebrities, corporations, media outlets, landmarks and millions of Americans across the nation in supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth by ‘going purple’ on Spirit Day.

The White House turned its official Facebook and Twitter photos purple in honor of Spirit Day, and posted a message of support on the official White House Blog. The link to that blog post is here: www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/10/20/october-20th-spirit-day

The White House also tweeted, “.@WhiteHouse goes purple for #SpiritDay.”

Tyra Banks, Anderson Cooper, Ellen DeGeneres, Craig Ferguson, Conan O’Brien, Regis Philbin & Kelly Ripa, and Wendy Williams all wore purple on national talk shows, as well as hosts of Access Hollywood, CNBC, E! Online, Good Morning America, MSNBC, Noticiero Telemundo, The Talk, and The View.

Other participants included: Gloria Allred, Sandra Bernhard, Chaz Bono, Cher, Fran Drescher, Mia Farrow, Nancy Grace, Heather Graham, Kathy Griffin, Lukas Haas, Goldie Hawn, Sean Hayes, Adam Lambert, Marlee Matlin, Audra McDonald, Ricky Martin, Joel McHale, Lea Michele, Kylie Minogue, Julianne Moore, Rosie O’Donnell, Suze Orman, Sharon Osbourne, Sara Ramirez, Joan Rivers, Paulina Rubio, Scissor Sisters, Tori Spelling, and stars of the WWE. Cast members of TeenNick’s Degrassi; Pauly D, Sammi Giancola and Vinny Guadagnino of MTV’s Jersey Shore; and Farrah Abraham, Tyler Baltierra, Maci Bookout and Catelynn Lowell of Teen Mom also participated.

“From Hollywood to corporate America to local grassroots advocates, Americans are taking a stand against bullying this Spirit Day and showing all LGBT teens that it’s okay to be who you are,” said GLAAD President Mike Thompson.

For a list of previously announced celebrity participants, see below and here: /spiritday/entertainment.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) turned its Twitter logo purple. Other celebrities who ‘went purple’ on Twitter include Tyra Banks, Andy Cohen, Leah Remini, plus stars of BRAVO’s Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, New York, New Jersey and Orange County.

Supporters continue to make their Facebook and Twitter photos purple using free applications available at www.glaad.org/spiritday. GLAAD also partnered with Mobli to create a Spirit Day channel for Mobli apps on Android, Blackberry and iPhone products.

Throughout the day on Thursday, #SpiritDay was a “trending topic” worldwide on Twitter.

MTV turned its on-air logo purple along with the network’s Facebook, Twitter, MTV.com and MTV Act logos. Online and on-air logos for MTV2, mtvU, MTV Hits, MTV Jams and RateMyProfessors.com also turned purple. MTV 44 and ½, the jumbotron in Times Square, was lit purple throughout Spirit Day.

The Sundance Channel, LOGO and the Jewish Home Life Channel turned on-air logos purple, while the CW, Just Jared, People en Español, Seventeen magazine, TooFab.com and X17 Online turned online logos purple.

The LAX Gateway lights at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) were also lit purple on Thursday night.

Previously announced companies that participated include AMC Entertainment, American Airlines, AT&T, B|W|R Public Relations, Comcast, Delta, Draftfcb, Facebook, Goldman Sachs, Hewlett-Packard, McGraw-Hill, NBCUniversal, Nielsen, PepsiCo, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Verizon, Viacom and Yahoo!. Participating companies distributed information to employees about wearing purple; some also pledged to turn logos purple for the day. For more information on participation details, visit: www.glaad.org/spiritday/corporate.

Facebook distributed Spirit Day information to employees around the globe. Facebook Diversity and Facebook Safety pages also turned purple. Facebook and the Network of Support urged users to sign the Stop Bullying: Speak Up social pledge at http://facebook.com/stopbullyingspeakup (press release: http://bit.ly/SBSUapp). The app enables educators, parents and students to make a personal commitment—and recruit others to join them—to help stop bullying.

As previously announced, LOGO aired a Spirit Day purple ribbon on the channel to drive viewers to NewNowNext.com to increase awareness against bullying. Additionally, the network’s Twitter (@LogoTV) and Facebook photos ‘went purple,’ and pictures of staff, fans and talent were posted to Tumblr throughout the day.

Here Media turned logos on Advocate.com, Gay.com, Gay.net, Out.com, OutTraveler.com and SheWired.com purple for the day.

Additional media participants included Ben & Dave’s Six Pack, Blabbeando, Bilerico Project, GBM News, GO, the New Civil Rights Movement, Padrisimo, Pam’s House Blend, Passport, Queerty.com, San Diego Gay & Lesbian News, The Seattle Lesbian, Unicorn Booty, the Washington Blade and Windy City Times.

In addition to the American Federation of Teachers, Believe Out Loud, Campus Pride, Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN), Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC), Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) Network, Lambda Legal, National Council of La Raza, National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Parents, Families, & Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), PACER Center, Safe Schools Action Network, and The Trevor Project, additional organizations that participated and encouraged members to wear purple included: All Families Matter (NM), Basic Rights Oregon, Boise Loves, Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry, Pacific School of Religion, Coalition of Welcoming Congregations of the Bay Area, DignityUSA, COLAGE, Egale Canada, Equality California, Equality Hawaii, Equality Illinois, Equality Michigan, Equality Ohio, Equality Pennsylvania, Equality South Carolina, Equality Texas, Equality Utah, Equality Virginia, Fair Wisconsin, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), Georgia Equality, HRC’s Religion & Faith Program, Institute for Judaism and Sexual Orientation at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Kansas Equality Coalition, Keshet, Live Out Loud, Lutherans Concerned/North America, Marriage Equality Rhode Island (MERI), MassEquality, Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC), Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC), More Light Presbyterians, Nehirim: GLBT Jewish Culture and Spirituality, Oklahomans for Equality, One Colorado Education Fund, OutFront Minnesota, PFLAG Omaha, Project 515, PROMO, Reconciling Ministries Network, Religious Institute: Faithful Voices on Sexuality and Religion, River City Gender Alliance, Straight But Not Narrow, Swish Pride, Tennessee Equality Project, Wikiqueer, Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual (WATER), United Church of Christ Office for LGBT Ministries, and Youth Pride Center.

For a complete list of celebrity participants, media outlets, TV networks, organizations and corporations, visit /spiritday/partners.

Spirit Day was started in 2010 by teenager Brittany McMillan as a way to show support for LGBT youth and remember those lives lost to suicide. Millions of teachers, workplaces, media personalities and students wore purple, a color that symbolizes spirit on the rainbow flag.

Spirit Day coincides with GLSEN’s ‘Ally Week’ (October 17-21), a week for students to organize events that serve to identify, support and celebrate allies against anti-LGBT language, bullying and harassment in America’s schools and communities. GLSEN has partnered with GLAAD to promote Spirit Day as an event for students to participate in during ‘Ally Week.’ For more information about ‘Ally Week,’ visit www.allyweek.org.

A full list of celebrity participants follows or is available here: /spiritday/entertainment.

Stars of TV, Music & Film
Cher
Tyra Banks
Ellen DeGeneres
Mia Farrow
Heather Graham
Kathy Griffin
Lukas Haas
Goldie Hawn
Sean Hayes
Allison Janney
Jonathan Knight
Adam Lambert
Ricky Martin
Julianne Moore
Leah Remini
Joan Rivers
Paulina Rubio
Scissor Sisters
Sia
Chely Wright

ABC
hosts of The View
host of LIVE! with Regis & Kelly
Chaz Bono (Dancing with the Stars)
Ana Gasteyer (Suburgatory)
Carla Hall (The Chew)
Nancy Grace (Dancing with the Stars)
Carson Kressley (Dancing with the Stars)
Sara Ramirez (Grey’s Anatomy)
Louis Van Amstel (Dancing with the Stars)

ABC Family
Vanessa Marano (Switched at Birth)
Shay Mitchell (Pretty Little Liars)

Bravo
Tamra Barney (Real Housewives of Orange County)|
Andy Cohen (Watch What Happens Live)
Drew Ginsburg (Most Eligible Dallas)
Brad Goreski
Camille Grammer (Real Housewives of Beverly Hills)
Courtney Kerr (Most Eligible Dallas)
Padma Lakshmi (Top Chef)
Countess LuAnn de Lesseps (Real Housewives of New York)
Adrienne Maloof (Real Housewives of Beverly Hills)
Caroline Manzo (Real Housewives of New Jersey)
Sonja Morgan (Real Housewives of New York)
Matt Nordgren (Most Eligible Dallas)
Rosie Pope (Pregnant in Heels)
Kyle Richards (Real Housewives of Beveryly Hills)
Lisa Vanderpump (Real Housewives of Beverly Hills)
Kathy Wakile (Real Housewives of New Jersey)

CBS
hosts of The Talk
Craig Ferguson (the Late Late Show)

CNBC
Jim Cramer
Simon Hobbs
Suze Orman

CNN
Dr. Drew Pinsky

CW
Shenae Grimes (90210)
Gale Harold (The Secret Circle)
Isis (America’s Next Top Model)

E! Online
Kristin Dos Santos
Marc Malkin

FOX
The cast of I Hate My Teenage Daughter including Jaime Pressley, Kristi Lauren & Katie Leclerc
Martha Plimpton (Raising Hope)
Lea Michele (Glee)
Mary Murphy (So You Think You Can Dance)
Harry Shum, J. (Glee)
TJ Thyne (Bones)

Lifetime
Margaret Cho (Drop Dead Diva)

MSNBC
Thomas Roberts

MTV
Pauly D (Jersey Shore)
Sammi Giancola (Jersey Shore)
Vinny Guadagnino (Jersey Shore)
Farrah Abraham (Teen Mom)
Tyler Baltierra (Teen Mom)
Maci Bookout (Teen Mom)
Catelynn Lowell (Teen Mom)
Mike C. Manning (Real World D.C.)
Jillian Rose Reed (Awkward.)
Nikki Deloach (Awkward.)
Matthew Fahey (Awkward.)
Greer Grammer (Awkward.)
Jessica Lu (Awkward.)
Desi Lydic (Awkward.)
Beau Mirchoff (Awkward.)

MTV2
Matt Pinfield
Charlamagne
DJ Envy

NBC
Aziz Ansari (Parks and Recreation)
Chris D’Elia (Whitney)
Bob Harper (Biggest Loser)
Zoe Lister-Jones (Whitney)
Christopher McDonald (Harry’s Law)
Joel McHale (Community)
Karen Olivo (Harry’s Law)
Rob Shuter (The Today Show)
Freddie Smith (Days of our Lives)
B.D. Wong

Nickelodeon
Avan Jogia (Victorious)

Oxygen
Scout Masterson (Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood)
Tori Spelling (Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood)

OWN
Rosie O’Donnell (The Rosie Show)

Planet Green
Josh Kilmer-Purcell & Brent Ridge (Fabulous Beekman Boys)

Showtime
Stephen Wallem (Nurse Jackie)

Style Network
Bonnie & Whitney (Big Rich Texas)

Sundance Channel
The cast of the new season of Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys
David Nadelberg (The Mortified Sessions)
Garo Sparo (Unleashed by Garo)
Joe Zee (All on the Line with Joe Zee)

TBS
Conan O’Brien

TeenNick
The cast of Degrassi including:
Munro Chambers
Annie Clark
Sam Earle
Aislinn Paul
Cristine Prosperi
Olivia Scriven
Melinda Shankar
Jordan Todosey
Jessica Tyler

Telemundo
Kate del Castillo (La Reina del Sur)

The Today Show
Rob Shuter

USA Network
stars of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)
Mehcad Brooks (Necessary Roughness)

WE
Laura Bruce (Downsized)
Diann Valentine (I Do Over)

Additional celebrities
Nick Adams
Gloria Allred
John Amaechi
Kate Clinton
Laverne Cox
Wilson Cruz
Ben Harvey & Dave Rubin
Kaya Jones
Sean Maher
Ross Matthews
Jai Rodriguez
Darryl Stephens
Steve-O
Derek Warburton

As part of National Bullying Prevention Month, GLAAD also released anti-bullying public service announcements (PSAs) in the ‘Amplify Your Voice’ campaign — a project developed with the American Federation of Teachers and featuring the personal stories of young people from the New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center’s Youth Enrichment Services (YES) Program. Talent includes: Ted Allen, Chaz Bono, Kristin Chenoweth, Tabatha Coffey, Nelsan Ellis, Vinny Guadaginino, Amber Heard, Rashida Jones, Dustin Lance Black, Liz Lee, Sandra Lee, Mario Lopez, Shaquille O’Neal, Pauley Parrette, Amy Poehler, Naya Rivera, Rev. Al Sharpton, Gail Simmons, Russell Simmons, Tori Spelling & Dean McDermott, Louis Van Amstel, Lisa Vanderpump, Jane Velez-Mitchell, Ariel Winter, Patrick Wilson and the cast of ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars. Additional videos to be released in coming weeks.

The PSAs urge viewers to take a stand against anti-LGBT bullying and direct viewers to GLAAD.org for resource kits offering best practices to parents, teachers and students. The free kits feature resources from the American Federation of Teachers, GLSEN, the National Center for Transgender Equality and The Trevor Project, among others.

Videos and resource kits are available here: www.glaad.org/amplifyyourvoice. Media interested in posting the videos can find instructions here: /resources/amplifyyourvoice/psas/press.