On October 15, college students from across the U.S. virtually took a stand against bullying for GLAAD’s annual #SpiritDay. This year looked different for students; unable to join one another on campus, these students took to social media. From sharing advice to posting their experiences and selfies, a virtual purple hug was sent out to youth across the world. Despite the obstacles that this year has brought, these students made sure that all LGBTQ youth had someone to stand up for them.
For #SpiritDay, we asked our campus ambassadors to share advice to LGBTQ youth who are experiencing bullying. https://t.co/ewr8yWUX8S
— GLAAD (@glaad) October 16, 2020
Check below to see examples of GLAAD Campus Ambassadors taking social media by storm.
Grace Ancrum, North Carolina A&T University
Grace shared her Spirit Day story in an article that outlined her experiences with bullying and coming into her gender expression.
For #SpiritDay, GLAAD Campus Ambassador Grace Ancrum shares her experience with bullying and coming into her gender expression.https://t.co/aLJ1bFvqb2
— GLAAD (@glaad) October 15, 2020
Eli Chazin, Pace University
Eli took to Instagram and created an original video wearing the signature #SpiritDay purple. In this video Eli shared statistics about LGBTQ youth and bullying while doing his makeup to honor Spirit Day.
Kaylie Duffy, University of Central Missouri
Hey, that’s me! For this year’s Spirit Day, I shared my #SpiritDay role model on Instagram and how they helped me accept my identity as an LGBTQ individual.
Aaron Giglio, CUNY Guttman Community College
Aaron headed to Times Square to see the Thomas Reuters billboard that featured his photo! The photo of Aaron, that included three other GCA Alums, was from a Spirit Day PSA encouraging allies to support LGBTQ youth. The billboard of Aaron and the other Campus Ambassadors was displayed in Times Square in the week leading up to Spirit Day.
GLAAD Campus Ambassador @mellamo_aaron visited the Times Square billboard that featured him for #SpiritDaypic.twitter.com/mhdxPRWxet
— GLAAD (@glaad) October 16, 2020
Shannon Li, University of Michigan
Shannon created a website for LGBTQ+ to amplify their voices and to love and support one another. On this interactive and informative site Spirit Day is told from the perspectives of LGBTQ+ members from across the U.S.
Apollo Lomba, Pratt MWP
Apollo created an illustration of his fellow GLAAD Campus Ambassadors in honor of Spirit Day. Apollo also posted a touching tribute to his #SpiritDay role model, Travis Alabanza, for GLAAD's photo campaign.
Andre Menchavez, University of Washington
Andre penned an op-ed for University of Washington’s student newspaper, The Daily, about his experience being a young queer person of color dealing with racist and homophobic bullying.
OPINION: In honor of Spirit Day, an annual campaign that aims to take a stand against bullying of LGBTQIA+ youth, @itsjustdrey shares the experience of himself and other queer people of color.https://t.co/YMJWyKzjhn
— The Daily of the University of Washington (@thedaily) October 15, 2020
Amiri Nash, Brown University
Amiri joined in on Spirit Day by writing an impassioned op-ed for Out on the experience of being young, Black, and Queer in America today.
"Justice is the recognition that the intersectionality between Blackness and queerness is valid in every way,"@AmiriNash writes on #SpiritDay. https://t.co/ACS4WFNDQS
— Out Magazine (@outmagazine) October 16, 2020
Amiri Nash, Brown University; Arlene Reynolds, UCLA; Darid Prom, Swarthmore College; Kaylie Duffy, University of Central Missouri, Matt Jacquez, Stanford University; Mikayla Galaviz, California Lutheran University; Trey Shimizu, Stony Brook University
These seven Campus Ambassadors told their personal stories of dealing with and overcoming bullying. Their stories aimed to help other young people who are or may have gone through similar experiences with bullying and harassment.
7 LGBTQ college students on how they overcame their experiences with bullying
— GLAAD (@glaad) October 15, 2020
cc: @arlenecuisine@amirinash@Kyberry32@matt_jacquez@daridprom@mkaymikayla#SpiritDayhttps://t.co/L6VaJC4s2O
Other GLAAD Campus Ambassadors made sure that they shared their #SpiritDay pride through Instagram and Twitter posts showing off their Spirit Day gear covering their social media pages with one big purple wave of love for everyone who may need it.
Isabel Corp, The New School
Indya Donovan, UCLA
Jeremy Drischler, Point Park University
Mikayla Galaviz, California Lutheran University
Lisa Kaari, Rutgers University
Nasir Anthony Montalvo, Stevens Institute of Technology
Addie Orr, University of Alabama
Rafaela Pontes, Penn State University
Riley Reed, DePaul University
Today is #SpiritDay2020 ! Today is the day we show up (in purple!) and stand against LGBTQ+ bullying. All LGBTQ+ folks deserve to live safely and proudly! #glaadcampusambassador@glaadpic.twitter.com/1bCDEcC7ES
— Riley Reed (@rileyereed) October 15, 2020
Ted Ravago, NYU
Athena Schwartz, University of Utah
Camryn Simons, University of Pittsburgh
Wearing my purple for #SpiritDay#SpiritDay2020@glaad#CampusAmbassadorpic.twitter.com/HVF6vswOx3
— cam (@simonscam) October 15, 2020
Jack Waguespack Almeida, Delgado Community College
Federico Yniguez, University of California Long Beach
About Spirit Day
Each year, millions go purple for GLAAD’s Spirit Day to support LGBTQ youth in a united stand against bullying. Started in 2010 by high school student Brittany McMillan in response to numerous young LGBTQ lives lost to suicide, Spirit Day now draws the participation of celebrities, schools, faith institutions, national landmarks, corporations, media outlets, sports leagues, and advocates around the world, all joining together to stand against bullying and support LGBTQ youth.
Presenting partners Delta Air Lines, Kellogg Company, and Target, official partners Amazon, NYC Department of Youth and Community Development and the New York City Council, and Skittles, as well as community partners Kirkland & Ellis, NBA & WNBA will all participate in 2020 Spirit Day.
In 2020, Spirit Day takes on a renewed importance due to the unprecedented challenges facing LGBTQ youth. This year, many LGBTQ youth are beginning the school year at home and are unable to attend in-person meetings of Gay-Straight Alliances, Gender-Sexuality Alliances or on-campus college LGBTQ organizations. Some LGBTQ youth may be confined to a home environment that may be unsupportive or abusive. Calls to The Trevor Project’s hotline for LGBTQ youth have at times more than doubled since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
This year, Spirit Day is on October 15, 2020. Take the Spirit Day pledge to show LGBTQ youth you've got their backs at glaad.org/spiritday. Follow @GLAAD on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to keep up to date with #SpiritDay news.
Kaylie Duffy is a GLAAD Campus Ambassador and senior at the University of Central Missouri studying Psychology and Womens, Gender, & Sexuality studies. She is a WGS ambassador for her campus and has worked on educational programs for her campus and the community that allows the audience to learn about advocacy for those who do not have a voice. Throughout her time as a WGS ambassador for UCM she has focused on advocacy through social media. Kaylie serves as a Lead Organizer for the GLAAD Campus Ambassador Program.