United States Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvannia are the latest political figures to recognize Spirit Day on social media. The senator joins the White House, Press Secretary Jay Carney and Senior advisor Valerie Jarrett in sending a message of support for LGBT youth. Senator Blumenthal posted the following message to Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Join me in taking a stand against bullying for #LGBTQ youth. On #SpiritDay, I am proud to stand w/ @GLAAD! pic.twitter.com/B65lOKN6Mh
— Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) October 17, 2013
Proud to celebrate #spiritday and take a stand against bullying. Learn more about how you can help: http://t.co/X3fAv04VvL
— Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) October 17, 2013
Mark Takano, the first non-white openly gay member of Congress, also tweeted out against bullying.
Take a stand against bullying. Support #SpiritDay. pic.twitter.com/JGkd2VXTlE
— Mark Takano (@RepMarkTakano) October 17, 2013
Join them by going purple at glaad.org/spiritday, and see what other elected officials spoke out against bullying below.
As @LGBTEqCaucus Vice Chair, proud to stand against #LGBT bullying on #SpiritDay @GLAAD pic.twitter.com/1GfqLivJSK
— Rep. Mike Honda (@RepMikeHonda) October 17, 2013
Stand against bullying! Wear purple and make your profile pic purple for #SpiritDay 10/17 at http://t.co/2KvTtwIWE8 #LGBT
— Rep. Tim Ryan (@RepTimRyan) October 17, 2013
Proud to support @GLAAD in taking a stand against #bullying. http://t.co/16pobq9Pwe #SpiritDay #LGBT pic.twitter.com/jBL25eimZR
— Bill de Blasio (@BilldeBlasio) October 17, 2013
RT to take a stand against bullying #SpiritDay pic.twitter.com/9h3tOz4eLY
— Rep. Lois Frankel (@RepLoisFrankel) October 17, 2013
I am taking a stand against bullying and supporting #SpiritDay. Are you? http://t.co/Qtcrv5DWFA @glaad pic.twitter.com/iO9iLO20qj
— Rep. Jared Huffman (@RepHuffman) October 17, 2013
It's #SpiritDay so take a moment to stand against bullying in any form. For more info: http://t.co/lWXnbJZnYs @glaad pic.twitter.com/TGnMJvsFhO
— Rep. Scott Peters (@RepScottPeters) October 17, 2013
Celebrities including Oprah, Ashton Kutcher, Betty White, Demi Lovato, Jimmy Kimmel, Nick Cannon, Kristen Bell, Macklemore, Melissa Etheridge, Darren Young and a growing list are also going purple for Spirit Day. Sports leagues including Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, the NBA, the NFL, the NHL and the WNBA are participating on social media. And brands like American Eagle Outfitters, NBCUniversal, Coca Cola and Johnson & Johnson are taking a stand, along with hundreds of landmarks, schools, faith groups, media outlets, companies, and organizations.
Founded in 2010, Spirit Day is an international, united stand against bullying and show of support for LGBT teens and young adults everywhere. Participants can get into the spirit by
- Turning your Facebook, Twitter and other profile photos purple at www.glaad.org/spiritday and spreading the word by using hashtag #SpiritDay
- Wearing purple on October 17th and encouraging classmates or coworkers to do the same
- Uploading photos of you wearing purple to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr using hashtag #SpiritDay and Spirit Day graphics
- Downloading the Spirit Day App
- Educating your friends and family about bullying and the LGBT community
- Getting your school, GSA, organization, etc. to become a Spirit Day partner
Time is running out to go purple on Spirit Day as a participant and partner, and to join the Facebook event! Sign up today and spread the word.