Every year on October 20th, millions wear purple to support LGBTQ youth and stand against bullying for Spirit Day. And what a sight this year! It’s lovely to turn on the television and see not just a sea of purple, but messages of love, understanding and support for young members of the LGBTQ community during a year where they’ve been especially targeted. It’s also great to see Spanish-language media in the U.S. and Latin America joining these efforts.

Cast members on morning shows and news shows wore GLAAD t-shirts or wore purple for #SpiritDay, many including segments explaining the importance of letting young people know they are not alone, and TV hosts from across Spanish-language television also shared messages of support on social media. Check out some of them below:

The hosts of ¡Despierta America! all wore purple today, posting on social media and dedicating a segment on their program to the meaning of Spirit Day:

Hoy nos vestimos de morado como símbolo de apoyo a los jóvenes de la comunidad LGBTQ+ y en rechazo al bullying. #SpiritDay #OrgulloUnivision pic.twitter.com/Xw4LSBqbYB

— Despierta América (@despiertamerica) October 20, 2022

The cast of En Casa Con Telemundo also looked resplendent in their purple.

Univision’s Edición Digital from KXLN in Houston also provided a thoughtful and rousing message of support through their Spirit Day segment as well.

And Noticias Telemundo Mediodía, from WNJU in New York, did a fantastic segment on Spirit Day highlighting a local artists as well as online resources for families!

Sandra O’Neill shone in her purple while hosting the morning news show on Telemundo 52 and shared this message of support on Instagram:

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Sandra O’Neill (@sandraoneilltv)

Univision Arizona joined in on social media as well!

Hoy nos vestimos de morado como símbolo en apoyo a los jóvenes de la comunidad LGBTQ+ y en rechazo al bullying. #SpiritDay @orgullo_univision @glaad @monicatrasandes pic.twitter.com/7KFQUlG9E5

— Univision Arizona (@UnivisionAZ) October 20, 2022

And Ana Maria Polo, the host of Caso Cerrado on Telemundo, shared her message of support on social media and closed it with her classic #HeDicho!

Como cada año el 20 de octubre en #SpiritDay subo una foto mía vistiendo morado en rechazo al bullying y apoyo hacia jóvenes LGBTQ.
Hoy cambia tus redes a morado si estás en contra del acoso!!#HeDicho #CasoCerrado #AnaMariaPolo @glaad pic.twitter.com/6dbNJdWlOr

— Ana Maria Polo (@AnaPoloTV) October 20, 2022

About #SpiritDay

GLAAD organizes celebrities, media outlets, brands, landmarks, sports leagues, faith groups, school districts, organizations, colleges and universities in what has become the most visible anti-LGBTQ bullying campaign in the world. Purple symbolizes spirit on the rainbow flag.

The annual tradition was started in 2010 by GLAAD and then high school student Brittany McMillan, in memory of the LGBTQ youth who died by suicide. McMillan encouraged her friends to wear purple on a day in October — a day that came to be known as Spirit Day.  

Today, LGBTQ youth, and especially trans and nonbinary youth, are experiencing a level of scrutiny in schools we have never seen, leading to an environment rife with stressors beyond the peer-to-peer bullying of the past. From book bans, to bans on trans youth in sports, to bathroom restrictions and teachers barred from using correct pronouns, the means by which a student can express themselves and see others like them are increasingly being challenged.  

GLSEN’s National School Climate Survey, released earlier this week, reported nearly 82% of LGBTQ students feel unsafe in school. 76% experienced in-person verbal harassment (e.g., called names or threatened) and 31% were physically harassed. Earlier this year, The Trevor Project reported 85% of transgender and nonbinary youth say that recent debates around anti-trans bills have negatively impacted their mental health.

GLAAD’s 2022 Social Media Safety Index found severe harassment for LGBTQ users when compared to 2021. This anti-LGBTQ rhetoric translates to real-life harm and has been cited as drivers of many of the over 300 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced in states around the country this year alone, many of which target LGBTQ young people.  

Take the Spirit Day pledge to show LGBTQ youth you’ve got their backs at glaad.org/spiritday. 

For more information on Spirit Day, visit glaad.org/spiritday and follow @GLAAD on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to keep up to date with #SpiritDay news.

About GLAAD

GLAAD rewrites the script for LGBTQ acceptance. As a dynamic media force, GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change. GLAAD protects all that has been accomplished and creates a world where everyone can live the life they love. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org or connect with GLAAD on Facebook and Twitter.