The Empire
State Building, dozens of celebrities, and many studios, networks, shows,
streaming services, landmarks, sports leagues, and organizations are set to
participate in this year’s Spirit Day, an annual observance coordinated by
GLAAD to stand against bullying and to show support for LGBTQ+ youth.
Spirit Day is
held every October 20, so it falls this Thursday. Landmarks are lit up in
purple, individuals wear purple, and many people, companies, and organizations
turn their social media feeds purple.
The Empire
State Building in New York City will go purple Wednesday evening as a lead-up
to Spirit Day. RuPaul’s Drag Race fan favorite Jujubee and
beauty product company Sally Hansen, the presenting sponsor of Spirit Day, will
take part in a ceremonial lighting at the iconic structure.
Other
landmarks joining the Empire State Building include the Spheres at Amazon’s
Seattle campus and Amazon’s HQ2 in Arlington, Va. In New York City, the
Stonewall National Monument Visitors Center, ViacomCBS, and Times Square
including the NASDAQ, M&M’s, Skittles and American Eagle billboards are set
to go purple for Spirit Day, along with Mars buildings in Newark, N.J., and
Chicago’s Mars Wrigley Building.
Among
corporate participants, NBC News, MSNBC, CNBC, and NBC News Now will go purple.
CNBC’s logo will go purple on-air and online. Shows across Peacock, Comcast
NBCUniversal and Universal Studio Group will also participate alongside NBC
News’ Today, the 3rd Hour of Today, and Today
With Hoda & Jenna.
Within the
Walt Disney Co., ABC, ABC-owned TV stations, Disney Channel, Disney Television
Studios, Hulu, National Geographic, and Onyx Collective will join cast members
from Freeform’s Good Trouble, Single Drunk Female, and The
Come Up to take part in Spirit Day. Programs and platforms across ABC
News will feature segments raising awareness about LGBTQ+ youth and taking a
stand against bullying.
Within
Paramount, casts from HBO’s We’re Here, RuPaul’s Drag Race, and
shows across ViacomCBS will also participate.
For a sixth
consecutive year, iHeartMedia will join in Spirit Day by airing public service
announcements across its radio stations nationwide. Spanish-language networks,
shows, and streaming services set to participate in Spirit Day include The
Q Agenda, Despierta América, Hoy Día, Telemundo, TelevisaUnivision,
and Pantaya.
Major sports
leagues including the NFL, a community sponsor of Spirit Day this year, will
take part in the observance; among them are the NBA, WNBA, MLB, and Athlete
Ally.
On Broadway,
Jujamcyn Theaters will participate in Spirit Day along with the companies
of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Into the Woods, and 1776.
LGBTQ+
advocacy groups GLSEN, the Trevor Project, and +Life will take part in Spirit
Day along with gay-straight alliance clubs across the country. Faith
organizations such as the United Church of Christ, the Naming Project, More
Light Presbyterians, Fortunate Families, Reconciling Ministries Network, and
Affirming Youth Ministries will join in.
International
participants will include Chinamerica Radio, Okaeri (Japan), GagaOOLala
(Taiwan), Mermaids (U.K.), and Gendered Intelligence (U.K.).
Among others
taking part will be celebrities Aly & AJ, Ben Aldridge, Louis Van Amstel,
Jonathan Bennett, Mayim Bialik, Sue Bird, Kent Boyd, Aria Brooks, Sterling K.
Brown, Kristin Cavallari, Margaret Cho, Jason Collins, Wilson Cruz, Shannon
Dang, Kelsi Davies, Heather Dubrow, Daniel Durant, Mikalah Gordon, Belinda
Gosbee, Mollee Gray, Faithe Herman, David Hernandez, Ty Herndon, Jeka, Jane,
Ken Jeong, Carson Kressley, Cheryl Ladd, Lisa Linke, Don Manicini, Mayan Lopez,
Alexis Lynn, Matty Maggiacomo, Idina Menzel, Mothé, Maren Morris, Chris Mosier,
Netta, Joy Oladokun, Jim Parsons, DJ “Shangela” Pierce, Olivia Ponton, Kyla
Pratt, Adam Rippon, Jai Rodriguez, Jake Wesley Rogers, Lily Rose, Amy
Schneider, Wanda Sykes, Brooklynne Webb, and Gregory Zarian; faith leaders
Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons, Brandan Robertson, Father James Martin, Bishop
Megan Rohrer, and Bishop Brenda Bos; and the casts of The Cleaning
Lady, The L Word: Generation Q, and The Real Housewives of
Beverly Hills.
Besides Sally
Hansen, presenting sponsors are Kellogg’s, Target, and Visible, and community
sponsors are Amazon Corporate Security, Kirkland & Ellis, L’Oreal/Viktor
& Rolf, NBA, WNBA, NFL, Skittles, and Taimi.
Ketel One,
M&M’s, and WWE have also pledged their support as sponsors of GLAAD’s
Spirit Day Benefit Concert, to be held Wednesday in Los Angeles. The lineup is
secret until showtime.
The annual
tradition of Spirit Day was started in 2010 by high school student Brittany
McMillan in memory of the LGBTQ+ youth who lost their lives to suicide.
McMillan encouraged her friends to wear purple on a day in October — a day that
came to be known as Spirit Day. Purple symbolizes spirit on the rainbow flag.
SOURCE: ADVOCATE
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