I'm Wearing Purple Today

Today is Spirit Day, and I’m wearing purple. Anti-gay bullying has always been unacceptable, but with the increased reporting of teen suicides in the past months, people are finally starting to notice the gravity of the problem. In the original Pride flag, the purple stripe represents spirit—something that we will not allow to be extinguished, and that’s the essence of Spirit Day.

Wearing purple isn’t a solution, of course; but I hope that bullied kids will notice the extra colour in the halls today and recognize that they’re not alone. I hope they’ll see there are allies out there—people they may not know or ordinarily wouldn’t speak to. I hope the friends and family of those who have lost loved ones due to harassment and bullying will see that there are people who remember their tragedies and are fighting to change things. Even if you don’t see much purple today, I guarantee there are people across the continent who care about the well-being of all GLBT youth and will not tolerate homophobic bullying any longer. I’m one of them.