Spirit Day 2024: Extending the Call for LGBTQ+ Youth Support Year-Round

October 17 marks Spirit Day, a powerful day of solidarity when individuals, organizations, and communities across the world don purple to stand against LGBTQ+ bullying. This day, initiated by GLAAD, sheds light on the struggles many LGBTQ+ youth face—bullying, isolation, and discrimination. These challenges often create an environment where young queer people feel marginalized, leading to higher rates of school dropout, depression, and even suicidal thoughts. At Safe Schools, we recognize Spirit Day as an essential call to action—a reminder that creating a safe and affirming environment for LGBTQ+ youth is not only crucial today but every day.

The journey of growing up is already a winding road full of obstacles, but for LGBTQ+ youth, the road is often fraught with unique challenges. Many of our young people face bullying, abuse, and rejection, which impacts their mental health, academic success, and overall well-being. The consequences are alarming—bullying can push students to leave school, isolate themselves, and in the most tragic cases, consider taking their own lives.

On Spirit Day, we unite by wearing purple, showing that we refuse to let this cycle of bullying continue. But this one day of solidarity is just the beginning. Wearing purple is a symbol, but the real work lies in the daily actions we take to create spaces where LGBTQ+ youth feel safe, accepted, and empowered to thrive. We at Safe Schools believe that the principles of Spirit Day should guide our actions every day of the year.

It is time to extend the message of Spirit Day beyond October 17. Spirit Day should be more than a 24-hour event—it should be a yearlong commitment to creating safe, affirming, and loving environments for our LGBTQ+ youth.

We need to take active steps to address the systemic issues Spirit Day highlights. Bullying, hate speech, and violence against LGBTQ+ youth are not isolated events—they are symptoms of a broader cultural issue. It’s on all of us—parents, teachers, community leaders, and decision-makers—to address these challenges. This means:

  1. Nurturing Inclusive Spaces: Every classroom, playground, and community center should be a safe space for LGBTQ+ youth. Educators and child-focused professionals play a pivotal role in creating this safety. By fostering environments that celebrate diversity and inclusion, we can empower young minds to feel valued and supported.
  2. Empowering Allies: Spirit Day reminds us that being an ally means more than just showing up one day a year. It’s about calling out hate speech, bullying, and discrimination whenever and wherever they occur. It’s about standing up for LGBTQ+ youth and ensuring their pronouns, names, and identities are respected.
  3. Creating Support Systems: Whether through clubs, youth groups, or school policies, support systems must be in place to help LGBTQ+ youth navigate their journey. Safe Schools is committed to creating these networks of support, but we need the collaboration of parents, educators, and communities to make them as robust as possible.
  4. Continuing the Conversation: Spirit Day is a great starting point for dialogue about the challenges facing LGBTQ+ youth, but these conversations need to continue. Education is a powerful tool in dismantling prejudice, and we must keep talking about the issues affecting our LGBTQ+ youth. By incorporating LGBTQ+ history, contributions, and experiences into the curriculum, we make sure every young person feels seen and validated.

This year, as you don your purple in solidarity with LGBTQ+ youth, let’s make a pledge to extend the spirit of this day into the weeks, months, and years ahead. Together, we can create a future where no young person feels bullied, unseen, or unloved because of who they are.

At Safe Schools, our motto is “Be Bold. Live Free. Stay Woke. Love All.” Let’s live that out, not just on Spirit Day, but every day. Because every young person, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, deserves to grow up in a world that celebrates them for who they are.

By: Rev. Harold Marrero
Chief Operating Officer

We encourage you to share this information with friends, fellow teachers, and allies and join us in bringing awareness to our efforts. Your support is essential for our ongoing work to create safe spaces for all students, regardless of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or expression. Please consider donating to Safe Schools so that we can continue advocating for inclusivity and diversity within the education system.