What's black and white and symbolically purple in support of LGBT youth? A soccer ball on Spirit Day, of course. Major League Soccer has pledged to go purple to punt bullying out of sports. In addition to wearing purple today, you can help prevent discrimination on the soccer field by signing on to MLS's Don't Cross the Line campaign.
According to the initiative's homepage, "Major League Soccer is committed to supporting the communities where we live and play our games, and to providing an environment in which our staff, clubs, players, partners and supporters are treated with dignity and respect. We will not tolerate discrimination, bias, prejudice or harassment of any kind. Don't Cross the Line promotes unity, respect, fair play, equality and acceptance throughout the soccer community."
In addition to Major League Soccer, the National Hockey League (NHL), National Basketball Association (NBA) & Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) are all going purple to show support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth.
Are you wearing your Spirit Day purple?
Going purple is easy:
- Wear something purple today - whether it's a purple scarf, purple tie, or an entirely purple outfit, you'll be taking a stand against bullying!
- Head over to www.glaad.org/spiritday to turn your Facebook and Twitter profile pics purple right now to show LGBT youth you support them.
- Share your photos with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and Google+ with the hashtag #SpiritDay - some may even be featured on the Spirit Day website.
With your help, young people everywhere will be able to walk into school or turn on TV and see a sea of purple. They'll see that the world has their back, and that it's okay to be who you are.
