Spirit Day is an annual effort to turn social media purple to raise awareness of bullied LGBTQ+ youth. Supporters wear purple to work or school, posting photos with the hashtag #SpiritDay.
ABC7 and Walt Disney Television's month-long #ChooseKindness campaign also encourages individuals and communities around the country to help put an end to bullying by choosing kindness.
Millions of people have supported Spirit Day since it began in 2010 to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ teens who had taken their own lives after being bullied, according to GLAAD.
RELATED: How to talk to your kids about bullying
59.5 percent of LGBTQ students feel unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation according to the 2017 study, conducted by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. This bullying can lead to lower self-esteem, a lower GPA and less planning for college.
Here's a look at some of the celebrities, news personalities, brands and organizations going purple this year.
Join me in going purple for #SpiritDay on 10/17 to support LGBTQ+ youth! Go purple here: https://t.co/EQtiYTGSnf #ChooseKindness pic.twitter.com/F7Vo1E9Plk
— Ellen Leyva (@abc7ellen) October 8, 2019
take a stand. join us in wearing purple tomorrow, october 17th in support of @glaad. #spiritday #choosekindness pic.twitter.com/q9yqTecoJz
— grown-ish (@grownish) October 17, 2019
.@GLAAD #SpiritDay in Times Square 💜 pic.twitter.com/g3NHAcKWXi
— Good Morning America (@GMA) October 17, 2019
In 2010, high schooler Brittany McMillan wrote a social post asking friends to wear purple in memory of LGBTQ youth who died by suicide. It went viral and GLAAD helped grow it into the most visible anti-bullying campaign in the world: #SpiritDay https://t.co/AJXrimYJKz
— GLAAD (@glaad) October 17, 2019
You don't need to plan a work outfit for Thursday, we've got you.
— Good Trouble (@GoodTrouble) October 15, 2019
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Wear purple for @GLAAD's #SpiritDay this Thursday to show your support for LGBTQ+ youth. #ChooseKindness pic.twitter.com/DQ998wO4v7
Want to show support? Go to GLAAD's website to take the pledge.