By Brody Levesque (Washington DC) OCT 19 | Wednesday, October 20th, has been designated 'Spirit Day' in remembrance of all LGBT youth who have tragically taken their own lives, and participants are asked to wear the colour purple. The campaign to mark this day was started by a young Canadian teenager, Brittany McMillian, on her personal blog earlier this month and she has now been joined by millions of followers on Facebook and Twitter.
The president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, (GLADD) Jarrett Barrios, said via press release:
"I will be wearing purple on Spirit Day, the tragic suicides of our youth have started an important dialogue among Americans about the dangers of bullying, and now is the time to show our children that millions of Americans accept and value them regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity."
The colour purple on the rainbow flag, the most recognisable symbol for LGBT Pride, created by San Franciscan Gilbert Baker and unveiled on the Gay Freedom Day celebrations led by slain LGBT activist Harvey Milk on June 25th, 1978, means 'spirit.'
The goal of Spirit Day is to show LGBT youth who are victims of anti-LGBT bullying and harassment that there is a vast community of people who support them. The event’s Facebook Page states: "This event is not a seminar nor is it a rally. There is NO meeting place. All you have to do is wear purple."
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