On Wednesday Oct. 20, people are wearing purple to show their support for the teens who took their lives because of anti-LGBT bullying.
Spirit Day was created by teenager Brittany McMillan earlier this month, and its purpose is to get people to rally together and show LGBT youth who face bullying that there is a large community of people who accept and support them. It also honors those teenagers who have taken their lives in recent weeks. The color purple is worn because it symbolizes “spirit” on the rainbow flag, which is a symbol for LGBT pride.
Many people are also taking to social networking sites to show their support. GLAAD has made an application that will make Facebook and Twitter pictures purple in honor of the day. Many statuses also reflect similar sentiments, explaining what the day is and encouraging others to participate.