The color for today is purple.
Hundreds of thousands of young people across North America are wearing purple to bring attention to the several teenagers who recently "committed suicide after they were bullied or harassed because they were gay or were thought to be gay," according to USA Today.
Canadian teenager "Brittany McMillan is reportedly the mastermind behind the idea for a worldwide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Spirit Day. McMillan wanted to raise awareness about the suicides, and so she used the Internet, posting and re-posting on Facebook and other social networks, to encourage people to wear purple on October 20.
On her Facebook page McMillan writes: "Many of [the teens] suffered from homophobic abuse in their schools or in their homes. We want to take a stand to say that we will not tolerate this. Purple represents Spirit on the LGBTQ flag and that's exactly what we'd like all of you to have with you: spirit."
Read more:
'Spirit Day': 'The View' Ladies Wear Purple To Show Support For Gay Teens (VIDEO),
October 20, 2010 – The Huffington Post
The ladies of "The View" each wore an item of purple clothing today to denounce the recent rash of anti-gay bullying incidents that resulted in the suicides of at least five teenage boys since July.
Co-host Whoopi Goldberg, sporting purple shoes, called Oct. 20 "Spirit Day" and explained that it was intended "to honor young people who have been victims of anti-gay bullying." Co-hosts Joy Behar and Sherri Shepherd wore purple blouses; Elisabeth Hasselbeck donned a purple scarf.
Spirit Day was created earlier this month by teenager Brittany McMillan, in an effort to encourage fellow LGBT allies to "rally together" against anti-gay bullying in schools. The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) took up the Spirit Day initiative, urging everyone to wear purple on Oct. 20 to show support for LGBT teens who struggle for acceptance. The color purple symbolizes "spirit" on the LGBT rainbow flag.
Read more/watch video:
Support For Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Teens -- Facebook Goes Purple for Spirit Day,
By Ki Mae Heussner, October 29, 2010
ABC News
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