Celebrate #SpiritDay and speak out against LGBT bullying
According to the research from the Human Rights Campaign, LGBT youth are twice as likely to report they are harassed, assaulted, kicked or shoved at school. Ninety-two percent say they hear negative messages about being LGBT at school, on the Internet and from peers. LGBT middle-school students reported far more harassment than LGBT high school students or straight students. And among middle school LGBT students, 58 percent reported being excluded for being different.
What can you do? Speak out. And it can be as simple as choosing your outfit.
Today is Spirit Day, which is specifically set aside for taking a stand against LGBT bullying. Wearing purple, or changing your social media accounts to purple, can show that you stand with #SpiritDay participants and with LGBT youth.
If you want to go even further, take a look at the following resources:
- Use GLAAD’s toolkit and resource guide for parents and educators.
- Show that you’re supporting Spirit Day on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook with the hashtag #SpiritDay, or change your social media accounts to purple using an app.
- Get involved in preventing bullying by looking through PACER’s website for outreach in schools and communities. Stomp Out Bullying and Stop Bullying are also great resources.
- Encourage the children in your life to report and prevent bullying. Have them visit Tolerance.org, Safe Schools Coalition and GLAAD for anti-bullying resources.
- If you work in a school or have kids who go to school, talk with school staff to find out what your school is doing to prevent and address bullying, and how you can get involved.
Of course, taking a stand doesn’t end with just wearing a color: Make sure that you share your choice with others. Together, we can show our collective commitment to decreasing the incidence of harm against others.